The chronicles of drabbles
by iMissa
Summary: Drabbles about everything and anything. 15: Character drabbles, because everybody needs a counterpart.
1. Revenge

**Disclaimer: I live in New Jersey, I'm a female, and the world will end if I can actually draw a straight line without a ruler, never mind an anime character. Oh yeah, and I'm not rich. Definately not rich. The conclusion? I'm not Masashi Kishimoto.**

Sasuke and Sakura were walking home, and the silence stretched between them. It was normal, since they were both tired from the vigorous training they had just endured. There was almost nobody around, since it was dinner time, and that suited the two just fine. There were just a couple of people walking around, and one of them walked towards them. It was a male, with spiky brown hair and mischevious grey eyes. He sidled up to Sasuke, hands brushing the front of the Uchiha's pants.

"Hi there handsome, my name's Akira," he purred in Sasuke's ear, nibbling on it a little. Sakura took one look at Sasuke's horrified face and started to laugh, slowly sinking to the ground and laughing hysterically. "I can show you a good time if you want," Akira said, pulling back and winking at the terrified Uchiha.

"Air..."Sakura gasped weakly, curling into a little ball and clutching at her sides, still laughing at Sasuke's pain.

"NO! I'm taken!" Sasuke almost howled in panic. "Sakura, sweetheart, LET'S GO." Sakura suddenly found herself scooped up into strong arms as Sasuke all but ran away. Sakura looked back at Akira, standing there grinning.

"Thank you," she mouthed to the straight man. His grin grew brighter.

"You're welcome." He mouthed back, and Sakura snuggled into Sasuke's arms.

Plan: Freakout Sasuke was a success.

* * *

**A/N- Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be starting this when I don't update FOMD enough, but it'll be updated whenever I either get requests or something will pop into my head. After all, most stories on my profile ARE one-shots, so they will all go here from now on. And yes, they will get longer. So, thoughts?**


	2. Shots

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto is too cool to even _think _about giving me his precious Naruto series. Good thing, too, or Sasuke would be regarded as a manwhore since he'd be walking around in A LOT less than he already is. Ohh, such yummy thoughts. **

"NOIDUNWANNAYOUCAN'TMAKEMEEE!" Sakura screeched, holding on as though her life depended on it to the edge of the wall.

"Let go, Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded desparately, pulling on her ankles, and Sasuke was attempting to pry her fingers off the wall.

"Stop being so fucking annoying, Sakura." He grunted, and in retaliation, Sakura bit him hard on the fingers. Sasuke began to swear loudly.

"That would be hilariously funny IF YOU WOULD JUST LET GO!" The Kyuubi vessel howled, still latched onto the lower part of her legs.

"NO! NEVER! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME, I DON'T WANNA GET A SHOT!"

"What's all this screaming about?" Kakashi inquired, popping in from nowhere. Sasuke turned to him, an angry scowl on his face and bloody fingers. Beneath his mask, Kakashi smirked; he was sure the only Uchiha survivor saw it (or rather, just knew he was from the Copy Ninja's facial expressions. His team knew him best, after all) because his scowl darkened and his eyes promised the most painful death.

"Sakura-chan doesn't want to get a shot," Naruto explained, grunting and sweating a bit as Sakura's fingers moved half an inch from the wall, grooving her fingernails into it.

"You're paying for that, Sakura." Sasuke told the female darkly, glaring at the nail marks on the wall of their shared apartment as though it had seriously offended him.

"Fuck off, Sasuke-kun," was the girls reply.

"Sakura-chan, PLEASE JUST LET GO OF THE WALL!" The blond begged, and Kakashi sighed.

Really, the boys were making this _so _much more difficult than it really had to be.

He walked over and firmly swept his gloved fingers on Sakura's sides. Sakura let out a shriek of surprise and promptly dropped from the wall, causing Naruto to be thrown backwards, dragging Sakura along with him on her stomach.

_'Uh-oh, rugburn,'_ Kakashi thought with a wince, and sure enough, Sakura stood up clenching her fists and glaring down at a rather frightened Naruto.

"You...will...PAY!" She screamed, and Kakashi found it rather amusing to watch Naruto scoot backwards in utter terror.

"Sakura-chan I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" The boy squealed, and beside him, Sasuke snorted. Kakashi sighed once more and stepped over to Sakura, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Sakura, I promise that if you do this, I'll give you a lollipop." Sakura looked up at her sensei, and Kakashi could tell from the evil smirk on her face that he wouldn't like her answer. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge at that creepy smile, and from the corner of his eye he watched Naruto run to stand next to Sasuke, quite a distance from where Sakura could reach him.

"Give me a skip-a-day-of-training pass and it's a deal." Sakura said sweetly, and Kakashi gave the girl a flat look, noticing Sasuke and Naruto frantically shaking their head yes.

"No."

Naruto began to whimper and hid behind Sasuke. Sasuke, however, wisely moved into the kitchen, and the blond all but pounced on him in his desparation to get away from Sakura, whose fists were slowly starting to swirl with chakra.

"Okay then, I'm not going."

"I'll treat you to ramen instead." Sakura paused in her thoughts of ways to kill her sensei without getting too much blood on the carpets (Sasuke would freak out; he had just vacuumed two days ago).

"Alright." She conceeded. Kakashi nodded.

"Boys, you can come out now." He called, and Naruto cautiously peeked his head around the corner, looking aghast.

Sasuke was too cool for that, though, and he merely strutted out of the kitchen with his hands buried in his pockets, but Kakashi noticed that he way eyeing their female teammate warily, expecting her to explode any minute now.

Instead she just smiled and began to put on her black coat. "Okay, are you boys ready?" Naruto nodded cautiously and stepped away from his safety point in the kitchen.

Kakashi smirked at them all. "Oh, Sakura," he said, turning to his student, "you didn't specify _when _I had to treat you to that ramen."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" was the shriek he heard before he poofed away to his apartment, chuckling all the way.

Back at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's apartment, the female medic turned to her boys with a dangerous smile that made ice crawl up their spines.

_"Oh boys..."_ She called, and the sensible parts of Naruto and Sasuke told them to get out. NOW.

So that's just what they did.

* * *

**A/N- Mm, I love shiny Team Seven crack. Don't ask where those plot bunnies came from, they just pounced once more. So yeah, this one is a lot longer than Revenge, though it was more of a thought to Renalin and became this monster from whose ideas I couldn't reign in. Frightening thought, eh? Okay, so after this is SakuraDouble's ShikaSaku fic, then the SasuSaku request, and then my sister's requested GaaSaku. Any more requests? Oh, and while you're at it, thoughts?**


	3. Cake

**Disclaimer: Not much time to write this, so I'll just admit it. Yeah, I don't own Naruto.**

Shikamaru was having a nice, troublesome-free day. The clouds were rolling over ahead, there was no missions, no practice, and best of all, no Ino. It was her birthday, and she had told him that her parents and she were going shopping and wouldn't be back until late and could he really make sure that Chouji didn't over eat again?

Of course he would. Later.

Shikamaru heard the sound of footsteps reverberating through the ground and he looked out of the corner of his eye; the sight of pink was fast approaching, and he closed his eyes with an inward groan.

Oh Kami, if it wasn't one it was the other.

"Shikamaru-san…" Sakura called sweetly, and Shikamaru _knew _that tone of voice. A little _too _well. It was the same voice Ino used when she wanted something.

It was time to use his genius skills, and so, he feigned sleep. He felt Sakura walk up and he could sense her feet standing next to him. "I know you're asleep, Naruto does that all the time. Would you like me to kick you?"

Well, THAT threat made his eyes snap open. The girl had super strength, after all, and he rather liked having all of his ribs intact, thanks very much.

"What do you want, Sakura?" He grunted, and watched as Sakura bit her lip in indecision.

"Well, you know how today is Ino's birthday, right?"

Uh, _yeah_. The girl had ONLY been reminding him every freaking day for the past month and a half.

"Yeah," he replied cautiously, wondering what it was that the medic wanted. Sakura blushed slightly.

"Well, uhm, I need you to help baking a cake." She mumbled, so low that he almost didn't catch it, but unfortunately, he did.

Oh, HELL no: that would fall waaay deep under the category of 'Majorly Troublesome'. Which he told her. And got kicked in the side.

Shikamaru swore and glared up at the girl, who happily reciprocated and placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot in irritation.

He had basically said _no,_ dammit, didn't he?! He wasn't going to change his mind!

----

How the hell had he wound up here? Shikamaru sighed as he cracked an egg against the porcelain bowl, listening absentmindedly as Sakura hummed some random song, mixing together ingredients.

Oh yeah, now he remembered. It had involved his manhood and the threats of eternal (and internal) pain if Shikamaru didn't do what Sakura said and come help her with the making of Ino's birthday cake.

Damned troublesome women and their troublesome friendships.

And dammit all if he didn't think Sakura didn't look half bad in that pink apron and swinging her hips to that song-

_Woah, no. Bad bad bad thoughts! She was the epitome of evilness, and one does NOT think that way about a woman such as Sakura!_

"Shikamaru?" Sakura called, glancing over her shoulder as her light eyes locked with his dark ones. "Are you almost done?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah," he mumbled, and tacked on a low, "Troublesome," when Sakura turned her back. They began to mix the things in silence, and the Nara genius muttered his famous catchphrase once more. Which Sakura heard this time.

Apparently, getting smacked with a wooden spoon _hurt. _

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head and glared at Sakura with one eye. "That hurt, you know," he told her.

"Good." She replied smugly. He continued to burn a hole through her face and he wondered how troublesome killing her would be.

Definitely too troublesome. However, wasn't there something Ino had said to him before she left…? Shikamaru frowned, then almost smirked. He began to take off his apron in lazy glee.

"Before Ino left she told me to go spend time with Chouji, since I haven't been able to lately, and to make sure he doesn't over-eat." Okay, so maybe he tweaked it a little, but she didn't have to know that, now did she?

There was a smirk on her face that made his stomach sink. "Oh, there won't be any need for that. Chouji just got sent on a mission with his dad."

Damn that sneaky woman! "So you can put back on the apron, Shikamaru-san, and help me make the second layer." With a sigh, he complied, and as he did so, he stepped on the bag of flour that he had placed by his feet a couple of moments before.

Sakura shrieked as her kitchen (and she herself) became coated in white and as the chocolate frosting became splattered all over her face.

"SHIKAMARU!" She howled, moving her hands furiously across her eyes to get chocolate frosting away from them. "WHAT THE _HELL?! _I GAVE YOU A SIMPLE FREAKING TASK AND YOU CAN'T EVEN COMP-"

_'Troublesome'_ screamed his mind, and he really wanted her to stop, so he did the only thing that seemed logical at the moment.

He kissed her. It was just to get her to shut up. Not because he wanted to taste the frosting on her lips or hear her moan like that or feel her hands slowly sliding through his hair, as they were doing now.

Nope, definitely not.

Shikamaru pulled back and Sakura opened her previously closed eyes, a flush slowly starting to be spread across her cheeks. Shikamaru smirked slightly and Sakura smiled, stepping back an inch.

"Okay, uhm, you can…take a break. I'll finish this." Shikamaru sat down and watched Sakura move about the kitchen, humming that song (though a bit more awkwardly than before) and dancing to it.

Perhaps this wasn't so troublesome after all.

* * *

**A/N- For SakuraDouble, who wanted ShikaSaku love. Here it is, and many thanks to Renalin, who gave me the idea after I was done banging my head on my computer desk in utter frustration because _I couldn't come up with ANYTHING! _So yes, many thanks to Renalin. Next up is SasuSaku that Sara requested, and then GaaSaku. Anyway, gotta jet. Happy Easter everyone, and spread Easter love by giving reviews and telling me what you thought of my first ShikaSaku.**


	4. Birthday

**Disclaimer: I, uhm, own the pants I'm wearing. And the shirt. Not the sweater, and I'm special, but not special enough to own Naruto. Damn.**

It's his eighth birthday, and he bounds out of bed, excited and unable to contain this happiness bubbling inside of him. He hurries into the kitchen, and his mother turns to him, smiling. "Good morning, Sasuke-chan. Did you have a nice sleep?" He nods and smiles back at her, taking a seat at the table. She walks over with a plate and kisses him on the temple. "Happy birthday."

"Arigato, Okaa-san." He replies, and eats hurriedly. She laughs at his enthusiasm.

"What's the rush?" She inquires playfully.

"Is Itachi-nii-san awake yet?"

His mother nods, and he shovels more food into his mouth before running out the door and out into the forest by their house, spotting Itachi throwing shuriken perfectly at the dummy. He watches him in awe, as what usually happens whenever he sees the elder Uchiha practicing.

"Ototo, what's the matter?" He blushes and steps away from the comfort of the trees that he was currently hiding behind.

"Nothing," he mumbles, and Itachi smirks, coming over and poking him gently on the forehead.

"Happy birthday," The older male murmurs, and the youngest Uchiha glances up, and smiles at Itachi, whose lips twitch upwards.

"Itachi-nii-san, will you show me how throw kunai the way you do?" He asks, a subtle hope shining in his onyx eyes. Itachi pauses and frowns, while his younger brother glances back down at the ground, waiting for the rejection that was sure to come.

"Okay, Sasuke. Go get your kunai set," The little boy agrees happily and rushes back home, glad that his brother _finally _agreed to show him after countless of times of saying no.

He doesn't know that it's the last time he'll be this happy.

* * *

He is nine years old, and his heart beats fresh with the pain. It's been a year since his last birthday; the last time he saw his family on his birthday.

His blood boils with anger at the thought of the morning of his birthday.

_Itachi…_ his mind growls.

The pain of his brothers' betrayal hurts, but not as much as the ache of when he thinks back to when he had first gotten what Itachi had been teaching him, and the small smile that his brother had given him while he ruffled his hair.

But none of that matters now. His family is dead, not here for this birthday, and that is the worst kind of suffering at all.

* * *

It's his tenth birthday, and he's alone again. Not that it's very surprising, since he's always alone, except for whenever his fangirls stalk him. He scowls, and his eyes harder more than usual. He hates those girls with a fiery passion; they don't know him, don't understand his pain. Stupid brainless girls, only after his name and nothing else.

How can they understand the kind of hurt he endures, when it rolls around his birthday and no one is there to give him presents (that he cares about, anyway) or when it's the day that everyone was murdered, and no one is there to comfort him (again, anyone that he cares about anyway).

Then again, he _doesn't_ care for anyone _anyway._ How can he, when the person he trusted most is the one that stabbed him in the back with that sadistic smirk that left him feeling empty inside?

Exactly. They don't understand, and they never will.

_He ignores the little voice in his head from long ago that whispers how he just wishes someone would care with no strings attached_.

But that will never happen. He is an _Uchiha_, and that's what matters most to everyone else.

* * *

It's his twelfth birthday, and for the first time, he dreads training. He leaves his house around two and sleeps in a tree, avoiding his fangirls that he knew would be clustered outside his door about three or four.

He wakes up around five and heads down to the bridge, alone again. Though that's how he prefers it, but he expected Sakura to be here already, booming in that cheerful voice of hers.

However, she doesn't show up until around six, looking flustered and haggard. She looks tired, if the rings around her eyes are any indication. She looks a little more awake after five minutes of being at the bridge, though, and turns to him, lips stretching in a smile. "Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun." She tells him happily, and he scowls at her.

"Hn," she is taken aback by his angry expression, and falls into silence, staring down at the ground beneath her feet. He squishes down this odd feeling in his stomach that hurts a little inside, and instead turns to the boy running towards them, and his scowl deepens.

"Hey hey hey, Sasuke-teme, happy birthday!" The blond yells, sliding to a stop right in front of them and flashing a grin at the dark-haired male, paying no attention to the angry look on the other boys face.

"Shut it, dobe." The Sharingan wielder mutters, and Naruto frowns at him.

"Don't be such a bastard, bastard. I'm treating you to ramen!"

There it is, that stupid feeling tugging at him inside (_because he knows that the azure-eyed ninja doesn't make much, and it must've taken him a while to save this up_) but he pushes it back into the back of his mind, where every other feeling other than hatred and vengeance go _(and promptly ignores the little voice that murmurs that that must mean that the stupid blond idiotic ninja and his annoying pink-haired teammate actually **mean** something to him, since he doesn't hate them)_ and turns away.

"Hn. I don't want ramen." He shot a scathing look at Sakura, "and I don't want your stupid present." Naruto snorts at this.

"Too bad, Sasuke-teme. I'm paying, you're going." However, the green-eyed female of their team is shuffling her feet and not looking at either of them, and he notices Naruto glancing at her out of the corner of his eye and glaring at his best friend, because he has, once again, managed to upset Sakura.

Well, too bad. He had always promised to himself that, after his family's death, that he wouldn't care about anyone else but himself.

Somehow, he thinks he's failed at that.

* * *

He is thirteen this year, and once again, things have changed. Instead of staring at a bowl of ramen (of which he _still _doesn't know how he wound up at Ichiraku and holding the scarf with his initials sowed into it from Sakura, though he did throw away the Icha Icha Paradise book Kakashi gave him) he is staring at cold, hard stone in the Sound base.

He reminds himself that this is what he wanted, all along: that siren call of power, it has brought him thus far. He hasn't reached what he's really wanted, and he's still got some time to go until he can finally beat Itachi, but he can be patient, because he's been patient for the past five years, hasn't he?

Orochimaru walks in, looking as sinister as ever, and he scowls at the sannin. Honestly, couldn't he _knock_?! "Happy birthday, Sassssuke-kun-"

-"_Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun." She tells him happily, a smile on her face for him. Only for him.-_

His scowl darkens, but Orochimaru takes no notice. "As a present, I shall teach you a new jutssssu."__

The teenager merely nods at this, and goes with the snake man. The jutsu is something hard to learn, but he gets it, and smartly steps away from Orochimaru when he tries to touch his shoulder. He heads back to his room, tired from the excursion of his chakra.

The happy faces of his ex-teammates haunt his dreams, and when he wakes, he realizes what he finally felt last year on his birthday, seeing Sakura's crushed smile.

_Regret._

* * *

Another year, another birthday. Once more, things have changed. He is now seventeen, laying on a cold battleground soaked with Uchiha blood, and not all of it is his own.

It seems so fitting, killing Itachi on his birthday. Nine years ago, the man was his idol on his eighth birthday, and now he is laying dead not ten feet from him.

A sinister smirk crawls upon the last Uchiha's face, although not for very long, judging from the amount of blood he knows he has lost.

Voices from his past haunt him. _"Sasuke-kun!"_ Sakura. The girl he had always thought of as weak and annoying, but she was loyal, he would give her that. She was also stupid, in her own way.

She loved him. Idiotic girl, she was.

But perhaps he was moronic too, since he cared for her more than was strictly necessary.

_"Sasuke-teme!"_ Ahh, Naruto. The loud blond that had somehow wormed his way into the raven-haired males' heart; his best friend, the brother that Itachi had been and should have continued to be. But the dobe was also loyal to a fault.

Naruto loved him as well.

They were all stupid, loving each other when it was never meant to be. Their friendship wasn't meant to be, to exist, but no matter how hard he tried (and he did try hard) such bonds could not be broken. He cursed the small, tiny part of him that was happy about that.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Teme!"

**'Naruto? Sakura?'**

And then they are there, right before his eyes, tears sparkling in theirs. "Just hold on, please Sasuke-kun," Sakura mutters, bending down and starting to heal the worst of his injuries, a large gash in his stomach that ran the length of his side.

He watches her with dark obsidian eyes, noting with a detached interest of the determination shining in those viridian orbs. She was at his side, of course she was. Sakura was always just…there. And of course Naruto is there too, looking at him seriously. "We've come to bring you home, Sasuke."

He should hate them, he should scream at them, _hit them_, but he just can't bring himself to do it.

They are at his side, as they always have been, right from the very beginning. Through everything he has put them through, they have not given up on him.

He realizes he is glad for that.

* * *

Another birthday. The day is bright and warm, the sunlight shining through his curtains. He turns around and feels no other warmth in his bed, other than the natural light of the sun.

The door swings open and Sakura smiles at him, her hair wet. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun." She greets him, heading over to the closet and throwing a shirt at him while grabbing a blue shirt for herself with a fan on the back and putting it on, not even paying attention to the fact that it fits as she puts on her black shorts and black skirt. She glances over her shoulder while brushing her hair to find him watching him and flashes him a bright smile once more. "Happy birthday."

"Hn," he murmurs, still absorbed in the way the light dances off her luminous pink hair.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun! Stop being lazy and get dressed." With that, she walks out and closes the door, probably going to the kitchen. He finally does get dressed, but Sakura is not waiting for him downstairs. Instead, she is conversing with Naruto outside, whose blue eyes light up at the sight of the male Uchiha (because now, there is a female Uchiha to the brood, and a soon-to-be male).

"Morning, teme! Happy birthday!" Sasuke smirks and stands next to Sakura, who slips her soft hand into his calloused one.

"Come on, let's go have some ramen! My treat!"

This time, Sasuke does not say no.

* * *

**A/N- I heart Renalin. It's only because of her that I was able to upload this. So, wrote it in like, an hour, and got all pissed when it wouldn't upload. Grrr... FFN better fix this soon, because it is SERIOUSLY annoying. Oh, and Sara, I'm working on your SasuSaku, but it might not be up until next week. Softball game tonight, Mets game tomorrow, Uncle's Sunday. Oh, and see? Angst in the beginning, but a happy ending. So, thoughts?**


	5. Jealous Much?

**Disclaimer: It'd be nice, and IT _WILL_ HAPPEN! Just...not now.**

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out cheerfully, walking up to the Uchiha, who grunted in reply. She smiled and hummed, glancing up at the vast blue sky. "It's very nice out today, isn't it?" The girl asked thoughtfully, and Sasuke glanced at her, but she wasn't looking at him; her gaze was directed at the clouds. "Yes, very nice. The clouds are so full!" She giggled and pointed to one, and he followed it with his eyes. "That one looks like a kunai!"

Sasuke looked back at the konoichi, but those emerald eyes were still diverted to the sky, and his eyes thinned.

Wasn't cloud gazing _Shikamaru's _thing?

No, Sakura was just daydreaming to pass the time waiting for the dobe and Kakashi. Besides, since when did Shikamaru and _Sakura _hang out? The thought was so ridiculous that he almost laughed aloud. Honestly, what had he been _thinking? _The two BARELY ever interacted. Okay, so maybe if they ran into one another at the streets they would stop and say hi or if they saw each other in Yamanaka's Flower Shop they would talk, but actually spend time together just because?

Impossible.

"You know, Sasuke-kun," Sakura's voice broke him of his thoughts, "Shika-san said that you can tell from the way the clouds move and how fast the wind is blowing them whether or not a storm is coming. Isn't that fascinating?"

**What?!**

"Hn. Not really," Sasuke mumbled, looking away and scowling at the tree. Sakura frowned at his behavior but didn't say anything about it. The duo was silent for a while, until Naruto bounded up to them.

"Heeey, Sakura-chaaan!" He greeted happily, and Sakura smiled at the exuberant blond.

"Hey Naruto." She answered back, and the two fell into a comfortable conversation. Sasuke eyed the both of them and then quickly turned his head, feigning indifference.

"Sakura-sama! Sakura-sama!" Three pairs of eyes watched as a Chuunin came running up to them. "Asuzumi-san says to come to the hospital. Shikamaru-san is hurt and won't take anyone but you, and Asuzumi-san added on that he wants to ask you a question, anyway."

Sakura nodded and thanked the boy, who returned the gesture and rushed away, probably to go train or something.

Sakura turned to her boys with a sweet smile on her face. "Tell Kakashi-sensei, okay? I'll see you two later!" She began to walk off, then turned around half way and yelled, "AND DON'T KILL EACH OTHER!"

Sasuke smirked, and Naruto nodded. "Gotcha, Sakura-chan! Unless the teme is being his usual self, then it's okay to remove that stick from his ass, rig- OW!" Naruto turned around and glared at Sasuke, who returned the gesture quite happily.

Sakura giggled and kept on heading towards the hospital, never noticing a certain Uchiha's gaze on her back.

---

If anybody asked, he was NOT following her. He just…wanted to make sure that she got to the hospital on time. Couldn't keep _Shikamaru _waiting, now could we?

Well, _he _could deal with that, but he's sure Shikamaru would think it as troublesome.

Perching himself precariously on the side of the railing so that he could look in easily (with his Sharingan, anyway. If Sakura saw him…well, he wasn't afraid of many things, but Sakura's wrath was at the very top) and he lowered his chakra to almost nil just as a precaution. Then, once assured that he wouldn't topple over, (which would be so un-Uchiha like, and not only that, it'd be _embarrassing_. And Uchiha Sasuke does NOT do embarrassing) he peered in through the window.

Everything was pretty basic. From what he could tell, Sakura was doing the standard procedure, asking the male how he got his…whatever he had, and he was answering. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, and Sasuke knew that whatever he had just said had his famous catch phrase tacked on to it.

But then, Sakura smiled at him and laughed.

_His _smile.

The one SHE always gave to HIM.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

That was _it_. The Nara genius was going _down.

* * *

_

Sasuke didn't see Sakura for another week. After… _looking after her safety _(because he was NOT following her for any other reason other than that) he had come home and realized how stupid he had been. Sakura was just being friendly with Shikamaru. After all, they're acquaintances through Ino. Ino is Sakura's best friend and Ino is Shikamaru's teammate. They're bound to talk some time, right?

Sasuke kicked Naruto's ass when the dobe suggested that he was just in denial.

"Sasuke-kun? What did Naruto do _this _time?" Sakura asked with an eyebrow raised as she inspected the marks on the blond. There wasn't really any reason to heal him (that was what the Kyuubi was for) but she was just curious.

Sasuke scoffed at the medic. "He was being an idiot." He told her, and the ghost of a smile flickered across Sakura's face.

"He's always being an idiot," she said, running a hand affectionately through Naruto's hair and giggling at the grin he gave her and the tongue he stuck out at Sasuke. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes.

Sakura's hand was still buried in golden locks.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this, something that Naruto slyly took notice of. And while he was more afraid of Sakura's anger than he was Sasuke's, the Sharingan wielders fury wasn't something to look over either. So, quite wisely, he didn't comment on it. People may _think _he's dense, but he's not.

Okay, for SOME things maybe, but he knew danger when he saw it.

"How long have we been waiting?" Naruto asked, slumping back against the railing. Sakura shrugged.

"Kakashi-sensei always keeps us waiting late, you know that, Naruto." She admonished, and her teammate sighed in exasperation.

"I know, Sakura-chan," he whined, "but it's been _hours_."

"He's trying to teach us patience," She replied, although there was a mumbled curse aimed towards their sensei after she said that. Naruto smirked.

"See? Even YOU'RE tired of waiting." The medic stuck her tongue out at the fox boy. She then glanced at the sun's peak and let out a sigh.

"I really hope Kakashi-sensei hurries up, I have to meet Shikamaru-san soon." She didn't notice the glare Sasuke sent towards her, but Naruto did.

"You've been spending an awful lot of amount of time with Shikamaru, Sakura-chan…" The azure-eyed boy said, smirking.

Sakura blushed but didn't deny it, causing Sasuke's glare to intensify. He wanted her to say _something _about it, dammit! He wanted her to explain why she had been spending so much time with the pineapple-haired male. He wanted a reason to justify _why _he was feeling so possessive over his female teammate.

_"Teme, for a supposed prodigy, you really are stupid," Naruto said to the raven-haired male, taking a sip of his water. He cringed when said raven-haired male glared at him. "But seriously, Sasuke, you're just in denial. Sakura-chan doesn't love you like she used to, and you don't like it. It hurts even more to think Shikamaru is taking over the pedestal Sakura-chan once put you on." Deep down, Sasuke had an inkling that Naruto was right. That didn't stop him from pounding the poor boy into a little smear on the ground._

Sasuke scowled and turned his head away from the other two.

He was NOT in denial.

----

He was tired, sore, and he just wanted to get home. The A-class mission had been tiresome (he refused to use the word Troublesome. That word must be burned…) and to add to it all, it was noon, and he was starving but he had to go report to the Godaime. He secretly thought that she enjoyed giving him such harsh missions. Retribution for leaving for Orochimaru and all that.

Sasuke sighed as he handed in the mission scroll to Tsunade, who merely nodded at him and told him he may leave, too immersed in her own work to pay attention to the thoroughly irritated male. He scowled and left, shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued to his destination.

A flash of pink caught his attention, and instinctively, Sasuke turned his head towards it. He almost wished he hadn't; Sakura was with Shikamaru. Scowling, the boy was set to continue walking towards his house…

Until he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru bend down on one knee in front of Sakura.

Sasuke turned back, hoping against his will that the Nara genius would think it too troublesome to propose to Sasuke's teammate. All those hopes were dashed to hell when Shikamaru produced a velvet box out of his pocket, and the Uchiha prodigy turned on his Sharingan to see what Shikamaru was saying.

"…we've known each other for a while, and as troublesome as it may be… Will you marry me?"

A ferocious growl tore from Sasuke's throat, and suddenly there were three shuriken in between his fingers, and he threw them angrily at the other dark-haired shinobi. Shikamaru dodged them, but one grazed his arm slightly, cutting the shirt and producing a thin line, some blood leaking from it.

Sasuke began walking towards the medic-nin and the lazy Jounin, Sharingan wheels spinning in barely-controlled fury. _Why _he was so mad, he didn't want to think of the reason, but he did know that the sight of Shikamaru proposing to Sakura sent his blood boiling.

Maybe because he knew that that should be _him _bent on one knee in front of Sakura.

"Shikamaru," he greeted coldly, lips pursed back in an obvious snarl. Shikamaru noticed this, and he smirked, then sighed, tilting his head back. Sasuke watched him.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru murmured, then directed his gaze to Sakura. "I'll catch up with you later, Sakura." He walked away, raising a hand in farewell. Sasuke watched him with narrowed eyes.

"Che. He doesn't deserve you if he's not willing to fight for you." He told Sakura, and to his surprise, she giggled and turned to him.

"Oh Sasuke-kun," she sighed. "Shikamaru wasn't really proposing to me. He was just practicing on me to propose to Ino."

**What?!**

Sakura must have noticed the disgruntled look on his face because she walked closer towards him, and in a bold move, fisted her hand in his shirt. He stared down at her, his brain still processing this.

So Sakura and Shikamaru HADN'T been dating. Sakura's normally bright emerald eyes were alit even more with mirth. "But what about that time at the hospital? And him always wanting to see you?" He accused, and Sakura laughed again.

"At the hospital, he had gotten hurt. And he wanted to ask me how to propose. He was going to propose to Ino later, but he was nervous and I allowed him."

Sasuke glared at her. Obviously, her answer had made him angry. "Why?" He almost spat out.

Sakura smiled a little bit sadly, and the male in front of her was slightly taken aback, though he didn't show it. "Because I pretended it was you." She whispered, averting her eyes from his obsidian ones, which had widened at her confession.

That could only mean one thing…

She still loved him. Well good; that's all he needed to know.

"Hn," he said, smirking as he tucked a piece of soft pink hair behind her ear. She turned her eyes back to him, gazing at her long-time crush in shock. He kept his hand on her cheek, feeling it heat up underneath his touch. His smirk widened.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, jade searching onyx. Suddenly, she leaned up, brushing her lips with his own. She felt him smirk against them as he crushed her body against his own, his kiss turning possessive as he placed a hand behind her neck and angled her head, making their kiss deeper. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura gasped out, and Sasuke pulled back, watching her.

"Meet me at my house later," he murmured, and stepped back before giving her a smirk and walking away. Sakura watched him, feeling happiness bubble in her stomach.

Then, an evil smile flitted onto her face.

Ohh, she _so _couldn't wait to shove this in Ino's face!

* * *

**A/N- Man, what a BITCH to write. Sorry Sara that it took me so long to write your request, but hey, five pages. So, FFN has finally stopped being gay and has allowed updates… but now, no alerts. Grr… Oh, and remember that conjoined fic I'm writing with Renalin? It's now up. It's called The Eccentric Files and our penname is Ren and Missa. You can find our profile link on my profile, and please review both TEF and this!**


	6. Addict

**Disclaimer- Maybe when hell freezes over and the rivers turn to blood.**

He didn't know when it happened.

Perhaps it was when he returned from his stint in Sound, though he knew it originated well before that. Before all the pain, before the nightmares of dead bodies and echoing screams haunted his nights and sometimes his waking hours. It was when they had all been merely children. At seven years old, he had first seen her, in all of her shy glory. She had been laughing with a blond-haired girl, her name was Ino, he believed. It didn't matter; all he heard was her laugh.

A week later he had seen her again, crumpled and alone, at the base of a tree as she cried her heart out. The sound of her sobs tore at him, and without knowing, without consciously realizing what he was doing, he walked over to her. He bent down and observed this little girl who, for some odd reason, captured his interest. Once she realized that someone was watching her, the girl lifted her head, bright emerald eyes sparkling with tears. His dark obsidian ones stared at her silently.

She averted her gaze, a tear making its way slowly down her face. "W-what do you want?" She asked hesitantly, her voice hoarse from her crying but soft, like a little girls.

"I want to hear you laugh," he answered honestly, because he had become addicted to it. Had listened every day at the Academy to hear that lilting tone of voice as she giggled with her friend. He didn't know who she was, but he vowed to find out, and when he did, he would make sure that her last name soon became Uchiha.

"I- what?" The pink-haired female asked, confused.

"I like to hear you laugh. Laugh for me." Sasuke said stubbornly. The girl blinked at him, and he watched in fascination at the sweeping grace of her eyelashes gracing the underside of her eye.

"I can't laugh if I'm sad." She whispered, much to Sasuke's chagrin. And then, his face twisted as he shoved his pride aside to make a funny face for the girl. He needed to hear her laugh.

Thus, he was graced by it; the tone of it as it rose, the sight of her eyes as they scrunched up as she giggled helplessly at the sight of his face. To him, hearing her laugh, it was worth the amount of embarrassment he felt at the moment.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. What's yours?"

Haruno...Sakura. Spring Cherry Blossom. Sasuke smirked; how fitting.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sakura grinned.

"You're cute, Sasuke-kun." He blushed slightly, and the girl opposite to him smiled, teeth flashing in the sunshine and her eyes sparkled with happiness. It was then Sasuke found something else he was addicted to, besides her laugh.

Her smile.

----

When they are twelve, they are put on the same genin team. It's been five years since they first met, but it feels like a lifetime, one that spanned in two universes. One where he was a happy, carefree little boy; the other where is he as he is now, all broken and frayed edges. Sakura has changed as well. Now, she is merely one of his fangirls, always trying to get him on dates, and it annoys him, because her laugh has changed, and so has her smile.

To his anger, he finds he doesn't like it.

And so, he must find another thing to become addicted to, and this one he finds by accident. She had been annoying him (as usual) and he had snapped at her, cold words meant to harm. Just like the second time he had seen her, she started crying, but he is entranced by the sight of the tears welling up in her eyes, the sound of her crying as she turns her head and runs away in an attempt to save face.

At one time, the sound of her weeping had hurt him inside. Now, he reveled in her pain, as sick and twisted as it was. He enjoyed the sound of it, and so, he decided to make her cry more often.

The sight of her eyes glistening and as she chokes on a sound in her throat as she makes a fruitless effort to not break down in front of enraptured him, and now, there were three things that he was addicted to.

----

They are nineteen, and he is just returning from Oto, returning from defecting from Konoha and harming his friends, both physically and emotionally, though he knows it's the latter that is the most true. Surprisingly, Naruto is the first person he sees, and after scowling and punching the raven-haired boy in the head, the Uchiha finds himself wrapped in a hug.

For one terrifying moment, Sasuke thinks it's _Naruto _whose arms are around him, but then he smells strawberries and sees pink hair, feels tears soaking his shirt, and he knows it's Sakura.

Her smell envelops him like a cage, as does her warmth, and he finds two more things to add on to that ever-growing lists of things that make him addicted to her.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he wraps his arms around her shaking body and nuzzles his nose subtly in her hair, the scent of strawberries getting stronger, and wishes to never let go.

---

They are twenty-three, and she is walking towards him in the purest of white kimonos, her hair done up into a fancy twist with a pale pink obi wrapped around her slim waist. When she sees him, she smiles, and his breath is taken away by the sheer happiness of it.

Finally, she walks up to him, mint-green eyes shining at him softly as she utters his name,

"Sasuke-kun,"

and he is not aware that he is holding his breath. It leaves him in a _whoosh _and he wishes that she would say his name again, because it only sounds right coming from her-

-_and he mentally tacks on that is one more thing he finds he is addicted to, the sound of his name tumbling from those rosy lips. He knows he'll make damn sure that she'll be screaming it later- _

and so he smirks at her, a lifting of the lips that is a borderline smile. Her eyes twinkle, and he watches her face as the former Hokage (the current one in Naruto, as the blond delighted in telling everyone when he was first announced leader of Konohagakure) recites the vows. He barely remembers murmuring those binding words. All he remembers is watching her lips part as she whispered,

_"I do." _

And Tsunade-sama looking at him and telling him, "You may now kiss the bride." Sakura smiles and turns to him, tears of happiness shining in her eyes (if he had thought watching her cry before had been addicting, it was nothing compared to this) and he does so.

She tastes of coffee, and when he licks her lips, like melon. Sakura almost groans, and he almost reciprocates before he pulls away, adding on one more thing about her that makes him crave her.

Then, as he sees the flush spreading from her face and those plump lips, tacks on another one. It is not their first kiss (and nor will it be their last, he silently adds) and he **knows **he will see more of that.

That, he can guarantee.

-----

They are still twenty-three (although it is March 15th, and Sakura is close to being twenty-four) and Sasuke has her gathered in his arms. Her face is nestled in the crook of his elbow, breath ghosting along the skin. Her eyes are closed (but he can still envision that viridian color in his mind) and she is content, happy, something he is proud to take credit for.

She snuggles into him, mumbling his name (when only hours before she had been moaning it) and he smirks as his hand touches the slight bulge on her stomach that he knows, come month-by-month, will increase drastically. He knows that she'll experience mood swings and odd food cravings, and she'll complain that she's fat and want to know what he thinks, and strangely enough, he kind of looks forward to it.

Sakura is his drug, his morphine, his heroin.

He is addicted to her the way a crack addict is to what makes them high. She does as well, just in a different way.

And just as an addict is to their brand of drug...

He knows that he can't stop.

_He doesn't want to stop_.

That should scare him, that she controls him in such a way, but as her eyes flutter open and she smiles at him groggily...

He finds he doesn't really mind.

* * *

**A/N- This was originally posted onto my LJ because I do the 100situations SasuSaku on there, and the second one was Addict. That's why some of you have already read this, but I liked this one, and I thought you guys deserved _something _after me not updating for a month. Very sorry about that, by the way. And for my darling onee-chan, Inulover4eva, I'm working on your GaaSaku, I swear I am. It'll hopefully be up soon, but don't count on any miracles; it's that evil time of the year again. Yes, finals. Grar. ANYWAY, hoped you all liked it, and reviews would be nice.**


	7. Newton's Third Law

**Disclaimer: I own a box of cookies. Leave me alone, dammit! Don't remind me that I don't own Naruto!**

**Dedication: Renalin. Because I made her suffer and write me fluff. Haha, yes, I am vindictive. Oh yeah, and also to my mother.**

Newton's Third Law

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

It had been years ago that his parents and family had been slaughtered in front of his very eyes. They say that memories fade with time, but Uchiha Sasuke didn't think he'd ever be able to erase the image of his brother standing above their mother and father wielding a katana that would send them to their deaths. He knew he'd never be able to banish the screaming that erupted from his family as they were struck down.

Now, there was more screaming going on, pained groans and moans coming from the room where his world had shattered, fragments of his sanity and dreams scattered about the blood-stained wooden floor. Sasuke paced outside the room, debating on whether or not he should forgo his pride and those damned instructions and break down the door. Another cry came from the room, one pitched highly in distress, and the male paused to regain his composure.

She was hurting again and it was all his fault.

He heard some muffled shouting, followed by insistent screaming, though now it only sounded irritated and in pain. "DON'T YOU FUCKING PEOPLE HAVE SOME GODDAMN MORPHINE?!" A soothing voice tried to calm his irate wife, but obviously didn't succeed. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT I KNOW YOU DO! STOP HIDING THOSE WONDERFUL NUMBING DRUGS OR SO HELP ME KAMI THE MINUTE I'M ABLE TO GET OUT OF THIS BED-" She never got to finish an obvious death threat as she let out a pained scream.

"SASUKE THE SECOND I CAN WALK I'M CHOPPING YOUR BODY INTO LITTLE PIECES!" His wife could be scary when angry, but he knew that was the pain talking. Another wail came from the room, higher than the others and a kind of distress that Sasuke knew he'd never be able to compare to.

Suddenly, two other cries accompanied his wife's, and Sasuke stared at the door in amazement. His mind was in a jumble and he, ignoring the warnings ringing in his head, opened the door.

_There were two bodies strewn upon one another and the eight year old Sasuke recognized them as those of his mother and his father. "Kaa-san, tou-san…" And standing right above the dead bodies was the one person whom Sasuke thought he could always trust. Someone he thought had loved him but was holding a bloody katana, eyes the same shade of vermilion that coated the blade. "Aniki…why…" Uchiha Itachi had answered him and then forced him to see what Itachi had done. The visions had haunted him ever since. Blood…there was so much blood…_

That was what Sasuke noticed first. Crimson on sheets of white, and he felt his head spin at the sight. He took several calming breathes and then focused on his wife lying in the bed. She gave him a tired smile and he walked over to her, focusing on her jade eyes and sat next to her on the bed. "Hey, Sasuke-kun." She greeted him, exhaustion laced in every word.

A medic-nin walked out of the bathroom and in her arms she held a little figure wrapped in a blue blanket. "Uchiha-sama, your son." She quickly retreated to the bathroom and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.

"But I heard another cry…" Sakura smiled at him.

"She's coming, just hold on." For one second, Sasuke thought that his pink-haired wife was talking about the medic-nin but then realized she wasn't.

True to Sakura's word the medic-nin came back out, only this time she was holding a pink-clothed bundle. "Uchiha-sama, here's your daughter." She handed Sasuke the girl and Sakura held their son.

Sasuke stared down in wonder at the soft, pink face. Dark eyes opened and observed him, but he noticed that they had an emerald hue to them, which could only mean that she would inherit her mother's eyes.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura's soft voice interrupted him from his musings and he glanced at her. She indicated towards the little boy in her hands and he looked down, only to find similar onyx eyes looking around the room in amazement.

"You name them." Sasuke told her, his gaze fixed on his son. Sakura smiled.

"This one here," she jiggled their son slightly and he glanced up at her, "will be named Reimyo (1). And our daughter will be named Kiyomi (2)."

Sasuke handed Kiyomi to Sakura and she held both of their children in her arms. Reimyo was still looking around, tiny fingers clutching the blanket wrapped around his body. Kiyomi had her eyes closed and her small thumb was in her mouth, sucking on it peacefully as she drifted off to sleep in her mother's arms.

"How come none of them have pink hair?" Sakura giggled.

"Because pink hair is recessive gene. I inherited it from my grandmother, and she was the first to have it. It was a mix of her mother and father's hair. Your family, however, had all black hair, which is why their hair is black. Kiyomi has emerald eyes because that's dominant in my family, the same way obsidian is with yours."

Sasuke nodded, understanding this and he looked around the room, trying to see what his son was seeing but the little boy would never be able to understand the kind of anguish that had happened so many years before this day. His replica was innocent, something that Sasuke didn't want to spoil. If he had his choice, it would be never, but his children would be ninja, that was a definite.

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't one to believe in things, but maybe this was Kami's way of showing him that there was another outcome. At one time, lives had been ending. But now, there was proof that life went on. Sure, it was just two little babies, but there would be more. Sasuke smirked down at his wife. Oh yes, there would be more.

"Sakura." She glanced up at him, a tiny smile on her face. "Thank you." The same three words, again spoken with gratitude. However, this time, it meant more and Sakura knew it did. Her smile widened when her husband leaned down and kissed her temple.

"You're welcome, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, and Reimyo looked up at his parents before mimicking his sister.

The older male Uchiha stared at the two babies nestled in his wife's arms, all three of them falling asleep. The medic-nin came out, but Sasuke shook his head. Instead, he leaned down and held both babies against him and kissed Sakura on the forehead. Walking into the room they had painted five months ago, he placed each child into their own respective crib. Kiyomi looked at him, studying the man above her before closing her eyes once more. Sasuke swore that there was a smile playing about her lips.

This time, things would turn out differently.

* * *

**A/N- This was originally gonna be some Team Seven angst, but that was before I REALLY read the correct definition of Newton's Third Law. Thus, some fluffy SasuSaku was formed. Uhm, yay? Sorry to my amazing nee-chan, I'm working on that GaaSaku, and it's almost done, but finals are killing me. But basically this was written because today's the day my mom died, and it's not gonna be a fun day, I'll tell you that. So this was written to cheer myself up in case I start to feel emo.**

**RIP-- Susan-- February 2, 1961- June 5, 2000.**

**Thanks for reading, and remember, sharing is caring, so review!**


	8. Sandcastles

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Woe.**

"Come on, Gaara!" Sakura pleaded, pulling on the redheads arm.

"No." He refused, eyes straight ahead. Damn woman with her stupid black bikini.

"Please?" She begged, and he made the mistake of looking at her. Sakura made sure that her eyes were nice and big and her boyfriend nearly gave himself whiplash he faced away from her so fast. And then…

Sakura whimpered.

Gaara inwardly cursed her, then sighed. "Alright." He conceded, and the next thing he knew he found himself wrapped in a hug.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed, and against his better judgment, Gaara pressed a faint smile into her roseate locks. He enjoyed seeing her happiness, because it made him happy. "Okay, now you've gotta go put on a pair of trunks!"

The redhead scowled. "Sakura…" He warned, but she buried her head into his chest.

"Please, Gaara? I don't wanna have to go swim by myself, and besides, if I'm alone then guys might think I'm single…"

There. She had said those magic words, and watched as his eyes darkened in a possessive fury. "Do I even _have _swimming trunks?" She produced a pair from the pile on the chair beside her, smiling cheekily.

"Yep. I bought some a while ago." Sakura said, and Gaara's face twitched as he unwrapped himself from her embrace, grabbing the offending material and heading into the bathroom. Sakura grinned victoriously and began to hum the Funeral March as her pretty boy toy changed. Her boyfriend grimaced as he came out, glancing down at the red knee-length shorts. "Oh, come on Gaara, they're not THAT bad." Gaara frowned at her but thankfully didn't comment, grabbing a shirt and putting it on, causing Sakura to pout as she had been ogling the subtle muscles that rippled on his body. He wasn't as built as Naruto or Sasuke, but he was well-defined, and Sakura was happy with that.

"Are you ready?" The green-eyed male inquired, and his girlfriend nodded, grabbing a bag that was settled by her knees and smiling at it. Gaara eyed the thing in her hands distrustfully. "What's that?"

She laughed. "Don't worry, just some towels, water and food and stuff. The normal beach requirements."

"Hm," Gaara muttered, but he still stared at the bag as if it might try and attack in three seconds flat. Sakura sighed and grabbed his hand, the bag in the other, and closed their door.

"I'M driving." She told him, and Gaara scowled; however, neither of them had forgotten the redheads rather, ahem, _eccentric _driving.

The ride to the beach was pretty uneventful, seeing as how there was no screams of terror from Sakura, tires squealing as Gaara swerved to avoid hitting old ladies, nor the wailing of sirens as the cops tailed down the car. The first time Sakura had ever heard a nun curse, Gaara had been behind the wheel.

Sakura smiled at him as she grabbed her bag and headed towards the sand. Gaara grabbed the towels from the backseat and followed her, glaring daggers at all the men whose eyes lingered too long on Sakura. The minute they saw him they averted their eyes; when you looked at his woman, Gaara could be a scary man.

"Gaara," Sakura called to him, and he looked at her. She gave him a smile and beckoned him over to her. He shot another glance towards the men, who were looking everywhere _but _at Sakura. Gaara smirked; wise choice. He handed his pink-haired girlfriend the towels and she laid them down, both right next to each other.

She sat down and began to hum, pulling out a brown bottle of something… Gaara frowned and eyed it, watching with an indifferent curiosity as she poured out thick, white cream onto her hands, and the redhead beside her wrinkled his nose at the smell. Sakura laughed at his expression. "It's sunscreen." She explained patiently, dipping her pointer and middle fingers into the glob and spreading it onto her arms. "Because I'm so pale, it will help me not burn. Or, at least, just burn a little bit." She smiled at him.

"I see." He said quietly, and Sakura leaned over and kissed him softly.

Gaara's parents had died when he had been younger, and he had lived in an orphanage until he had been of age. Then, he had bought his own apartment, which was where he lived now. They had been dating for two years and were quite happy.

Sakura began to spread the sunscreen on her legs now, thinking. Gaara's twenty-third birthday was approaching, and he had a small cluster of friends. Perhaps she should throw him a surprise party…?

She was interrupted from her thoughts when she felt coldness touch her face. She squealed and immediately recoiled back, and Gaara blinked at her in confusion. There was sunscreen on his finger. "Your cheeks are rosy." He told her, and she felt herself flush, and then she laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Gaara, you scared the hell out of me." He smirked at her but continued to protect her face from the suns rays. When he made sure the cream was well-rubbed into her face, his palm cradled her cheek, and almost unconsciously Sakura leaned into it. There was a moment of content silence before the female pulled back and smiled at him. "Do you want me to do you too?"

It was only when Gaara smirked did she realize how provocative that sentence had sounded. She flushed again, but this time it wasn't out of embarrassment. "Pervert," she muttered, and he merely shrugged his shoulders as defense. "Well…?"

"Alright." He conceded, and turned his back so that she could reach it. She rubbed the sunscreen on his back, marveling at the smoothness of it, and how she could feel the muscles moving and contracting beneath her fingers because of the coldness. When she was done, she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek before retracting and lying on her own towel, intent on getting some quality tanning. A few moments later, Sakura felt Gaara shift, and heard the distinct popping sound of the sunscreen bottle. He must've been putting it on himself now. She smiled, and a few moments later, Gaara laid down beside her.

The sun was hot and the air was thick with heat, the perfect conditions for a day at the beach. Sakura felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of her temple, and she grimaced in disgust before sitting up. Gaara opened one eye and frowned at her. Sakura didn't answer to his questioning stare as she headed down to the water, but didn't go in it. Instead, she headed near the edge and began to gather up some of the softer sand, the one that wasn't damp with lake water but soft enough to mold.

Looking around them, Gaara realized that she was building a sandcastle. Inspired, he walked down there by her and sat down near the crouching girl. Her tongue poked out of her mouth slightly as she worked on the base of her castle, carefully constructing it so that it wouldn't fall. Sakura was good at this kind of stuff; she had taken a Pottery class back in her Junior year of high school. Her soft fingers began to create a tower, and she happened to glance up. What she saw made her jaw drop.

In front of her was a gorgeous sandcastle. Everything was intricately carved as if made by Jesus himself; the windows were perfectly squared, and everything was shaped perfectly. There was even a little moat around it, including a drawbridge. Above the beautiful castle stood her smirking boyfriend.

"What. The. _Hell_?!" She growled at him ferociously, her pride wounded. "I thought you said that you had never been to the beach before, you lying asshole!" He merely shrugged off her accusation.

"I never said that," she opened her mouth to protest, "I said that I had never spent a day at the beach, as in having fun." She glared at him, apple green irises radiating her anger. "I used to come here for walks at night, and I'd see the sandcastles. If I was bored, I would create some." Well, that certainly explained why Gaara was so good. Also, they had both taken that same Pottery class. Sakura inwardly smiled; that was how they had initially met.

Sakura pouted up at him. "You had an unfair advantage." She grumbled, but knew she was fighting a loosing battle. Gaara's smirk widened, and she got up, dusting her backside of any particles of sand she may find there, and then headed into the ocean. Gaara wasn't all that hot, so he knelt down and added a few more finishing touches to his masterpiece. When he next looked over, Sakura was waist-deep in the lake and chatting with a male that looked to be able their age. And she was smiling. A bit too happily.

Glancing down at the beauty that he had created, he glanced over at his girlfriend who was now laughing at something the unknown male had said. They were too close. Narrowing his eyes, Gaara stomped over his sandcastle, causing it to become a blob of sandy nothingness, and trudged into the water.

If Gaara was so good at molding sandcastles, imagine how well he would be able to turn that horny male into a pretzel. That stranger was going to rue the day he had ever talked to _his _girl.

Gaara smirked.

_Oh yes._

* * *

**A/N- To the best sister in the entire world, Inulover4eva. Sorry this took so long, nee-chan! And also sorry to the rest of you who have requested; I was SWAMPED by requests (and quite a few of them are…distinctively scarring.) and due to school, plus my other stories, I've barely had any time to write. The next one up is Akatsuki funnies, requested by XXDragonheart6XX. Hope you all enjoyed, and remember, sharing is caring, so drop a review and tell me how you think I did on my first GaaSaku.**


	9. Ramen

**Disclaimer- If my summer homework was to write a letter to Kishimoto-sama begging him to let me own Naruto instead of reading a boring book, I would be doing that instead of this. In other words, I don't own. Be thankful for this.**

"Sakura-chan! Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, wrenching open the door to the apartment he, Sakura, and Sasuke shared. The latter was behind him, hands shoved in his pockets as they entered the apartment. Naruto turned to Sasuke, a frown on his face. "Does Sakura-chan have work today?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't think so. She would've told us."

"Yeah…Sakura-chan!"

"I'm gonna go grab a tomato." Sasuke grunted, then walked into the kitchen. Naruto nodded distractedly, then headed towards Sakura's room and opened the door.

"Sakura-chan, are you-" Naruto stopped dead, and Sasuke, standing in the kitchen heard a scream that sounded suspiciously like Sakura. Sighing, he rolled his eyes and headed towards where Naruto had walked to.

"Dobe, what did you do to…Sakura…"

The tomato dropped.

"Sa-Sakura-chan?" Naruto gulped, and both boys stared, wide-eyed, at their female teammate.

Of course they had known that Sakura was a woman, I mean, it was a little obvious, especially what with her 22nd birthday just passing. But to have her standing there, in total shock, wearing only a skirt and a bra, with her hair dripping wet and a towel on top of her head, it just kind of registered.

Finally, Sakura shook herself out of her stupor. "GET OUT!" She shrieked, flinging the nearest object at the two boys standing in her doorway; it was, unfortunately for them, a spiky high-heel that barely missed Sasuke's head. "OUT!"

Naruto closed the door hurriedly and stared at Sasuke, who, for once, looked just as flustered as the blond was. "I didn't…" he began weakly, and Sasuke shook his head.

"Let's just…get away from the door." He muttered, and walked towards the living room, but Naruto noticed the tenseness of his shoulders and inwardly snickered. _So Sasuke-teme DOES have hormones._

The two boys sat on the couch, just waiting for the eruption. And erupt it did. Sakura came stomping out of her room with a red tube top on and a black skirt on, black knee-high boots hiding her dainty feet.

She glowered at the both of them, and Naruto shrunk into the couch: Sakura-chan could be really scary when she wanted to.

"Explain." She said in a cold voice, and her blue-eyed friend brandished three free ramen tickets like a shield from her anger.

"I won these! And I wanted to take you and Sasuke-teme to Ichiraku, y'know, so we came home and I called and called and called for you but you never answered so I thought you had work but I wasn't sure so I walked into your room and since when have you had boobs Sakura-chan and please don't hurt me."

Sakura blinked, her mind processing Naruto's rambling, and she sighed. "Naruto, I've always had boobs, you moron." She turned her gaze to Sasuke, and her eyes narrowed. "And what's your excuse?"

"I heard you scream." He said, and Sakura sighed again, running a hand through her damp roseate locks.

"Okay, well, I guess I can forgive you two since it's not as if you saw me _naked_," out of the corner of her eyes she saw Naruto blush a dark red and hold his nose, and Sasuke's ears began to glow, "and now, I gotta go."

"Why, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with his head tilted.

"I've got a date."

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted, and Sasuke stood up.

"With who?" Sasuke asked, his voice deadly calm.

Sakura rolled her eyes; sometimes her boys could be _so _overprotective.

"With Kiba." She said simply, and predictably, Naruto freaked out, waving his arms around for emphasis and in exasperation.

"DOG BOY?! YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH THAT MUTT?! HOW COULD YOU, SAKURA-CHAN?! YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD BE WITH ME! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOVE WE SHARED?!"

Sakura smirked. "I'm sorry, Kiba's a better lover than you are. Next on my list is Sasuke-kun."

Naruto turned his baleful gaze to the confused and almost-terrified Uchiha. "You bastard, you're just gonna try and knock Sakura-chan up for the babies, aren't you?"

"Well, Uchiha's are perfect at everything, aren't they Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked cheerfully, winking at poor Sasuke, who had no idea what the _hell _his teammates were talking about. Maybe the Ichiraku ramen was drugged…?

"Alright boys, I'm out. If I don't come home tonight…" Sakura smirked. "Don't wait up for me." With those parting words, she left. A couple minutes later, Naruto stood gaping at Sasuke.

"You…you don't think she was serious, do you?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

"It's best not to take chances."

Naruto smirked. "You thinkin what I'm thinkin, Sasuke?" The Uchiha returned the smirk.

"Aa."

And away they went. It was time to go neuter a dog.

-0-0-0-0-

Shikamaru turned his head the next morning and blinked at Naruto and Sasuke, who plopped down on the seat beside him as if already their day sucked. "What the hell happened to you two?"

Naruto winced, thinking of what happened when Sakura-chan had found out that Naruto and Sasuke had been following her and Kiba.

"Sakura." Both boys said at once, and Shikamaru nodded in understandment, and all of them went back to their ramen.

---

_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._

_---_

**A/N- I thought this up while at my Grandma's yesterday, and I just had to type it. This one is for my Delinquents, because even if they didn't ask for it, they still deserve it. I love you guys, and thank you SO MUCH for being there when I needed you most. You guys know who you are. Next up are those Akatsuki funnies, I promise they'll be up soon once my muse comes back from it's vacation in the Bahamas. Reviews make me happy, so press that button and review!**


	10. Eyes

**Disclaimer- I own nothing! (but tomorrow, I will own a Harry Potter book!)**

**A/N- I know almost EVERYONE has done this, and don't ask what made me think of it (I suppose it was when I got to thinking about DH tomorrow, thought about Harry, and thought of green eyes.) I know it's annoying to read these, it always makes me irritated when I click on one and hope it's good, which is why I'm writing it. So, uhm, enjoy!**

**Song recommendation to listen to while reading this-- The Hardest Thing by 98 Degrees. Or perhaps A Different Kind of Pain by Cold. Every time I hear those songs it makes me think of episode 109.**

His footsteps echoed in his ears, slow and deliberate, as he walked towards the end of the road in his hometown, Konoha. His eyes were closed, and because he was the master of denial, he refused to acknowledge the fact that, maybe somewhere deep down, it was because he didn't want to watch those gates loom over his head and know he was leaving it all behind, he was leaving _them _behind; however, Fate, that bitch, had other plans.

Sakura stood right by the gates, turning the corner and looking at him with solemn green eyes. Sasuke inwardly cursed; was it seriously too much to ask to be able to leave without someone trying to stop him?

Perhaps she wasn't, though; her eyes had widened at the sight of the bag on his back. Then again, what the hell was she doing out so late? Che, idiot girl. Didn't she know that she could be hurt or something?

The Uchiha valiantly ignored that little emotion stirring in him that demanded that he protect her, even if she wasn't in trouble, just as he had been doing all along. She had to learn to protect herself; he wouldn't always be there to do so, and was proving it by walking away.

"What are you doing here, walking around at this time of night?" He asked calmly. Sakura glanced downwards.

"Because in order to leave the village, you have to take this road." Ah. So she did know his intent.

Sasuke mentally sighed, then began to walk around the konoichi. "Go home and sleep." He told her, though he knew that she wouldn't.

"Why?" It came so softly that Sasuke almost didn't hear it, but he did. That didn't mean that he stopped walking, though. "Why won't you tell me anything? Why do you always stay silent? Why won't you say anything to me?"

"Why do I have to tell you anything?" Sasuke shot back sharply, aiming to hurt her, as he always had. "It's none of your business." Oh, how hard he tried to convince himself of that. "Stop concerning yourself about what I do."

"You've…" Sakura paused, and Sasuke waited for her to continue. He had stopped when he replied back to her questions, and knew that now, this was the least he could do for her, listen to her, even though she was wasting his time. He would give her these last few moments before he left, because that was all he had left to give his female teammate. "You've always hated me, huh?"

For a moment, Sasuke was surprised, and wanted to turn back, shake her, and demand if she was stupid. Then he realized that he had never made her believe anything else; he made her think that he did, in fact, hate her, and for a moment could feel the guilt swelling up inside him, an emotion he could count on one hand how many times he felt, before he stomped on it. No. Now was not the time to show her that he was _sorry_, dammit. He was sorry, because of what she thought and how he would never dissuade her belief that he _did_ care about her. Perhaps a little too much.

"Do you remember the day we became genin, and when our three-member team was first chosen?"

Unfortunately, he did. The memory of kissing that moron wasn't one he could forget, though he tried. He tried VERY hard.

"The day you and I were here alone, you got mad at me, remember?"

Sakura had been a big fangirl in those days, and obviously hadn't known about the Uchiha massacre. He remembered that he was angry with her. That was also when he first called her annoying. He didn't feel bad for hurting her, because if she hadn't, then she would still probably be a fangirl.

He was cutting his bonds; he _shouldn't_ remember, but he did. That didn't mean she had to know.

"I don't remember." He told her coldly, and he heard her inhale sharply before letting out a shaky laugh, and from the sound of it, he knew she was crying.

_You always seem to hurt her_, whispered the traitorous part of his mind. _You know that you're the only one to make her cry anymore._

He did know it, and he knew that leaving her was perhaps maybe the worst pain she would feel. He was hurting her, for one last time; the biggest hurt, in fact, and he knew it; however, not Sakura, not even Naruto could stop him from what he wanted. Sasuke had always been stubborn that way.

"Makes sense. That happened a long time ago." Her voice was high, cheerful. Fake. He hated that tone, because it meant that she was sad, unhappy. And it was his doing.

"But that's the day when everything started… You and I… and also Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."

The bell test. How could he have forgotten? No, he didn't. That was also the day that he found himself buried neck-deep in the ground. It was also the day he waited for Sakura to wake (something he STILL didn't know why he did) and the day when he exposed to her more than he had ever told someone else. That was something else he didn't know why he did.

"The four of us completed a number of missions together. They were tough… and a lot of work, but… Above all… It was fun!" Sakura took a breath, almost as if trying to ready herself.

"I know about your clan, but revenge…That won't make anybody happy."

What was she talking about? Killing Itachi would make him happy. Why couldn't that stupid girl understand that Team Seven HAD affected him? That there was another reason why he was leaving to find Itachi? It was because Itachi had taken away his family once, and he wasn't about to let him do so again.

"No one," she whispered, and the sky grew dark: clouds were floating across the full moon. "Neither you…nor I." There it was again, that same, sharp feeling in his gut. _He was hurting her._

"Just as I thought." He murmured, shoving back those feelings. He had to push her away, or else he'd never be able to leave. She'd make him stay, and he had to go. Sakura made a sound in the back of her throat, and he knew that she had turned her head towards him, even with his back turned to her. "I'm different from you guys. I walk a different path from you guys."

They were light, and he was dark. Some part of him murmured that he didn't want to taint them with his darkness. Naruto had darkness inside of him, but both of his teammates…everything about them was light…happiness. He couldn't do that to them.

"I've tried to think that it was my path to do the things we've done up till now."

_Liarliarliarliar-_

"The four of us did things together, but my heart decided on revenge in the end."

_You're such a __**liar**__, Sasuke-kun._

It wasn't that he _wanted_ to leave, because he didn't. He DIDN'T want to go; he **needed **to go.

"That's my purpose in life. I can't become like you or Naruto."

A step sounded; Sakura had stepped closer to him, and shouted, "Are you going to choose to be alone again?!" _Yes._ "On that day, you taught me that solitude is painful." _It is, but I need to leave._ "I understand that so well right now. I have a family, and I have friends, but if you're gone…" She took another step, "to me…it'll be the same as being alone."

He could hear her crying, and damn did it hurt him more than any other time he had made her cry.

The image of their Team Seven picture flashed before his eyes before he tried to convince her on why he was leaving. He wished her didn't care about Sakura, because if he still hated her, as he had in the beginning, then he would've simply continued walking away. Damn her.

"From here on a new path will open for all of us."

"I…I love you so much!" Sasuke's back stiffened.

_You're an asshole._ His mind snarled at him.

"If you stay with me, I promise that you won't regret it!" She was desperate now, he could tell. Her voice was imploring him to stay, and he wanted to give in. He wanted to turn back around and say okay, that he didn't want to leave. But he couldn't have Itachi come back to the village. He had already tried to kill Naruto once, who's to say he would fail again the second time? Lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place.

"Every day will be fun. We'll definitely be happy. I'll do anything for you. So…" Sakura choked on a sob. "Please! Stay here! I'll help you with your revenge! I'll do something! So please stay here…"

The clouds shifted again, and suddenly it was light.

"If you can't stay…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _What was she up to?_ She wasn't…she wasn't letting him go, was she…? His stomach jerked uncomfortably at the thought. "Take me with you."

His eyes, once narrowed, now widened, and he had to force his body not to turn around and scream, "No!" Take her with him?! Was she crazy?! Would she…would she really give up that much for him?

_Don't you dare even __**think**__ about it, Uchiha Sasuke,_ his conscience hissed. _Take her to Orochimaru? He'll rip her apart! _

He could hear her crying, and turned around, a smirk on his face. Sasuke looked directly into her eyes, and there he saw it: she was telling the truth. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this was especially true for Sakura.

She loved him. She wanted to make him happy, even if it meant betraying the village that she was born in; she loved HIM more than her village.

_I'm sorry._

"You really _are_ annoying." Is what he said instead. Because she was; just not in the way she thought he meant. She was annoying because he cared about her more than he cared about himself. The only woman that he valued above her was his mother, and for him, that said a lot.

He turned, and started to walk away. "Don't leave!" Sakura yelled, and began to run towards him. "If you do, I'll scream!"

Before she could blink, he was behind her. So close that he could smell her (some perfume she used, he supposed. It smelled like jasmine.) For a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of the wind.

"Sakura…" He began, wondering how he could form into words what he was feeling. Did he love her? No, he didn't. Did he care for her more than a teammate, more than a friend? Yes. Instead, he settled for the only thing he could think of.

"Thank you."

His hand moved up and struck her in the back of the neck, and Sakura began to fall.

"Sasuke…kun…" She whispered, before he caught her around the middle, and picked her up bridal-style.

Maybe in another life, another time, he could've picked her up this way, but for a different reason; however, it was now, and this was the only time he would hold her this intimately. He held her closer almost unconsciously, feeling her body warmth against him.

Sasuke looked around and spotted a bench. Heading over, he laid her on it, then gazed down at her tear-stricken face. Almost as though someone else controlled his body, he leaned down, pressing his cold lips against Sakura's, trying to convey all the promises that he was sorry he would never be able to give her.

Some small part of him hoped that she would remember it, these last few moments with him where a piece of him stayed here, in Konoha, with Naruto, with Kakashi, and with her.

Pulling away, he surveyed her, then used the rough and calloused pad of his thumb to brush away the tears that still rolled down her face, almost like he tried to brush away his guilt.

Giving her one more stare, fixing her face into his mind's eye, he began to walk away.

Even though a part of him hoped that she would remember this moment, a larger part, the more sensible part didn't. She deserved happiness, and that was something he would never be able to give her. And so, he closed his eyes, just as he passed the gates. Away from Konoha. Away from them.

* * *

**A/N- Anyone who's read Phobia will notice that I did the ending the same. Sorry, that's just how I think Sasuke feels. Speaking of which, I feel so sad now, since I've been sitting here, typing this up and listening to sad music. Urgh, I need a Funny Bone. (Both literally and figuratively. Funny Bones are a type of junk food, with peanut butter in the middle. Yummy.) Anyway, review and tell me what you thought of it, please?**

**Oh, and who's totally psyched for DH tomorrow? I know I am! Though I'll have to wait until 8 o'clock at night to read it, unless 7-11 has it when we stop there are 6 in the morning, cause we're going to Dorney Park. If they do, you know I'm gonna pounce all over my father and demand that he buy me it.**


	11. Anniversary

**Dedicated to: Renalin, because it's her birthday and I made her let me write this for her. Happy birthday darling!**

**Disclaimer: I, uhm... -looks around- Do I really gotta say it? -sigh- Fine. I don't own.**

"OY! SASUKE-TEME!" Sasuke groaned and rolled over, stuffing the pillow over his ears. The sound of Naruto's voice first thing in the morning was NOT something he wanted to hear.

The sound of his door being broken, however, was one that he liked even less. Sasuke sat up straight and threw off his covers with a grunt, but just then Naruto entered his room, calling his name loudly.

"You fucking _retard_," Sasuke ground out through clenched teeth, and the blond merely shrugged.

"Your door won't matter when I'm Hokage." Naruto said smugly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto let out an indignant shriek. "TEME! YOU'RE NAKED! EW!"

"Dobe, I'm wearing BOXERS."

"Same difference! I don't wanna see your pale-ass body!" With that, Naruto ambled away, probably to go see if Sasuke had any ramen. Sasuke frowned and looked down.

"My body's not THAT pale…"

Once Sasuke got dressed, he walked into his kitchen, raising an eyebrow when he found Naruto raiding his fridge. "Kami-sama, teme, you have so many tomatoes." He whined.

"Because I happen to _like _tomatoes. Now, why are you here?"

"Cause Sakura-chan told me to come get you," Naruto said, moving over and inspecting Sasuke's cabinets.

Sasuke had a hard time believing that; after all, Sakura wasn't THAT stupid anymore. "Did she tell you to come get me right now?"

Naruto shook his head, pawing through the cabinets. "No; she told me yesterday to bring you to her house today. Hey, I thought you hated sweet things, so how come you have pocky?"

"None of your business," Sasuke grunted. "You know what, let's just go over to Sakura's now."

"NO!" Screeched Naruto, dropping the pocky. "Have you ever _TRIED _to wake up Sakura-chan?"

"I've never been stupid enough to," muttered the Uchiha, sticking his hands in his pockets. Naruto glared at his best friend.

"Shut up, teme. Let's go train, and THEN we'll go to Sakura-chan's." Sasuke nodded his agreement and then they left.

* * *

Five hours later found two hot and sweaty boys lazing under a tree, staring at the clouds in content silence and feeling _very much _like Shikamaru.

"So how come Sakura wants us at her house?" Sasuke asked, and out of his peripheral vision noticed Naruto shift uncomfortably. It could've been out of nervousness, but then the blond pulled a stick out from underneath his torso and grimaced.

"Well, you know Sakura-chan; she likes to know that we're eating properly." Naruto grinned and Sasuke sighed and shook his head, though the corner of his lips twitched upwards slightly.

Sasuke had to admit that it was…nice, having someone worry about you, care about you, with no strings attached.

"Well, I guess that we should be heading to Sakura-chan's now, or else she'll have my head." Naruto said, standing up and brushing the back of his pants for any dirt that may have collected there. Then he walked over to Sasuke and held out his hand for him to take.

Sasuke, still lying on the ground, stared at Naruto who was smiling slightly, then to his hand before taking it and allowing the younger male to pull him up.

"Hey Sasuke…" Naruto began as they walked towards their female teammates house.

"Hn."

Naruto hesitated, and that was enough to cause Sasuke to look at him with a raised eyebrow. What could possibly phase Naruto to make him pause?

"When you came back to Konoha…last year…why did you come home?"

Sasuke frowned at the question and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Teme…?"

"Because I had nowhere else to go," Sasuke said shortly, and Naruto smiled at his back.

After seven years of being on a team with Sasuke, and knowing him for even longer (and yes, this included the six he had been gone, because Naruto knew that deep down, even in that time, the old Sasuke had been buried there) he understood the meaning behind Sasuke's words: he had _wanted _to come home, where everything was familiar. He wanted to come back home to _them_.

After a few minutes Sakura's cream-colored house began to appear before them, and Naruto grinned at the sight. He knocked on the door twice then opened the door, as was his habit, and Sasuke rolled his eyes though there was no real meaning to it; after all, he was far too used to it now to actually care.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, and immediately the smell of baking invaded Sasuke's nose, though this, too, was too familiar for him to think differently of it. Contrary to popular belief, Sakura was actually a pretty good cook

"In here, Naruto!" Sakura yelled back from the kitchen. "Is Sasuke-kun with you?"

"Yeah, the teme's standing right beside me!" Sakura emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel and smiling at them, her hair pulled back with a clip.

"Hey, boys." She greeted, and Naruto grinned at her.

"Heyyy Sakura-chyaaan." He sang out happily, and Sakura returned the smile before heading back into the kitchen.

"Have a seat! I'll bring out the trays in a couple minutes, I just wanna check on the cake."

Sasuke frowned; why the hell had Sakura baked a cake? It wasn't anybody's birthday, was it? For a moment, Sasuke felt something in him stir, because if it WAS one of their birthdays he had most certainly not gotten anything. Then he realized that it wasn't anyone's birthday, because if it was then there would be presents everywhere.

Sakura, bringing out the plates and trays, frowned at Naruto, seeing Sasuke's confusion. "Naruto," she chided, "you didn't tell him, did you?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted it to be a surprise!" He defended, and Sasuke's frown deepened.

"Tell me what?"

Sakura turned to him with a warm look in her eyes and a smile. "Today's the day we officially became a team." She said gently, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You kept track of it?" He asked in disbelief, and the roseate-haired female smiled softly.

"It was one of the happiest days of my life, of course I kept track of it." With that, she headed back into kitchen, and Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea that being a team was so important to Naruto and Sakura.

"Did you know about it too?" Naruto nodded, surprising the Uchiha.

"I kept the date circled every year on my calendar."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, scooping some rice and putting it on his plate. He also speared a couple of thinly-sliced tomatoes and put them next to the white rice. Naruto noticed that there was no ramen, and said so to Sakura, making his eyes big and whimpering.

Sakura rolled her eyes and let go of the plate of steaming fish. "Naruto, you eat ENOUGH ramen. I'm surprised that your arteries haven't clogged up yet and you've gotten fat and died from being gluttonous." Naruto pouted at her and she gave him a quick smile, spinning on her heel and leaving. "Has anyone talked to Kakashi-sensei?"

"Nah, I've been with Sasuke all day." Naruto answered for the stoic Uchiha, who rolled his eyes. Naruto really HADN'T been joking, seeing as how the blonde had been at his apartment since the freaking crack of dawn.

Sakura re-emerged, carrying a bowl of salad. She glared at Naruto, putting her pointer and middle fingers in a V facing her eyes, then pointing them at Naruto. The meaning was all too clear: You'd better eat the salad. I'm watching you.

The jinchuuriki gulped and nodded furiously, scooping some of the greens onto his plate and then into his mouth, smiling with his lips closed to prove his point. Sakura nodded and turned away; the moment she did, Naruto gagged and the half-chewed lettuce returned to his plate in a wet heap. Sasuke's lips curled in disgust.

"No, we haven't," Sasuke answered his pink-haired teammate, forcing himself to look away from Naruto's plate. "Besides, you know he's always late."

Sakura frowned, finished with putting down the dishes and throwing the dish towel onto the counter. "Yeah, I know, but I had thought that on our anniversary he'd at least be _somewhat _earlier than usual."

Naruto snorted through a mouthful of fish. "You should know better, Sakura-chan."

Suddenly Sakura smiled impishly at them and Sasuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. He _knew _that smile, and it would provide no good for the person on the receiving end of her anger. The petite female (standing a mere 5'3, whereas Naruto was 6'2, Sasuke 6'0, and their sensei an astounding 6'4) walked into the kitchen.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS HERE **RIGHT NOW **THEN I WILL BURN ALL OF YOUR STUPID PORN BOOKS, INCLUDING YOUR _PRECIOUS _ICHA ICHA PARADISE ONES!"

Naruto and Sasuke sweatdropped anime style as Sakura flounced back into the dining room area and seated herself. "All taken care of." She chirped sweetly, and three seconds later Kakashi poofed into Sakura's living room, looked haggard.

"That," he began grumpily, "was _not _funny, Sakura." Said girl merely shrugged and grinned brightly at him, sweet as poisoned honey.

"Now, I'm gonna go take out the cake, _and you guys are gonna eat the meal I so graciously made for you, got it?_"

To object otherwise would be, from the look she was giving them, disasterous, so each of them nodded quickly. "Great!" Sakura said cheerfully, bouncing out of her seat and into where the cake was baking; Sasuke could smell it, and despite him not liking sweets, it _smelled _mouthwatering.

"Sakura-chan is _scary_," Naruto said with the utmost conviction, watching the female warily as she carefully put the cake on top of a rack, waiting for it to cool.

"You're telling me," Kakashi said mournfully, clutching his Icha Icha Paradise book to his chest like a father cuddling his newborn baby. Sasuke gave him a weird look before returning to his meal.

"You know," began the raven-haired male, watching as Naruto tentatively stabbed a slice of cucumber and put it into his mouth, "saying that our team has an anniversary is like suggesting that we're married."

Kakashi smirked slyly; Sasuke could tell by the curving underneath the mask that the man was _smirking_, "Oh yeah, Sasuke? Then what, that would make Sakura the wife, would it not? _Your _wife."

Naruto began to choke on the slice of cucumber before laughing. _"Sasuke-teme wants to get into Sakura-chan's pants!" _He crowed, then squawked indignantly when Sasuke flicked a piece of fish and it smacked the blond in the middle of his forehead, though it merely bounced off his hitai-ate harmlessly and fell onto his plate.

Sasuke smirked. "Oh yeah, so this is about the couples now, is it? Well then if Sakura was my wife," here, his smirk got wider, "then which one of _you _would be the wife? I think both of you would look good in a frilly pink apron, though Naruto might look the best."

Naruto went into an uproar, standing up and screaming at Sasuke. Kakashi, however, merely sipped the tea that Sakura had prepared for them all. "Touché, Sasuke." he said. The pink-haired girl came out of the kitchen, brandishing a vanilla-coated knife.

_"Naruto," _she said dangerously, then glared at both Sasuke and Kakashi, "And both of you, too! How old are you now? Four?! SHUT. UP." With that said, she stomped back into the kitchen. Sasuke frowned.

"What's her problem?" He asked, and Naruto sighed, having done what Sakura said and was now stabbing his lettuce like he wished it was Sasuke's eyeball.

"Sakura-chan's been preparing this for a couple weeks; I guess the stress has taken a toll on her." Naruto said quietly, finally taking a bite of the green, crunchy lettuce and grimacing. "They should have ramen-flavored lettuce."

It was Sasuke's turn to grimace. "Dobe, not only is that stupid but it'd be disgusting."

"So says the man who has an obsession with tomatoes," his best friend shot back, but before Sasuke could retort, Sakura walked into the dining room with a self-satisfied air around her.

"Boys," she admonished softly and gave them a smile, "honestly. Just eat. Do you _have _to argue on our anniversary?"

"Ah you know us," Naruto said, stretching languidly, "that's how Sasuke-teme and I function. Anything else would be weird."

Sakura giggled. "That's true. Now…" When she sat down, she began to put stuff on her plate. "Itadakimasu!" With that said, Sakura began to eat like it was her first meal of the day; Sasuke had a sneaking suspicion it was.

"Sakura…" he began, and the girl looked up at him, wiping her mouth daintily of any rice that might be there. Sasuke swore that he saw some vanilla icing on that napkin, shiny compared to the dull white.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun?"

"Did you eat breakfast this morning?" The Uchiha asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Sakura giggled nervously.

"Well…no. I got up a bit later than I wanted to, so I had to start right away on our lunch."

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura, that's not healthy and you know it. What time did you wake up?"

"Nine," she answered, "so see? It's not like I went the entire day without eating."

"That's true," Kakashi said grudgingly, "but you're always making sure that _we're _well-fed, but what about you, Sakura?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Naruto said. "Dattebayo!"

"Yeah, well, uhm…" Sakura paused, and looked around desperately. "Sasuke-kun doesn't eat breakfast either!" Sasuke glared at her for making him the scapegoat and she merely smiled sheepishly and mouthed a, 'Sorry!'

"Stop trying to change the subject." Kakashi said easily. "You should've eaten earlier." Sakura sighed.

"Sorry, but really, I'm fine. All I did was go, what, four hours without eating? I'm not gonna keel over and die." She glared at her teammates. "Relax, I'm fine. Now eat, but not too much, cause you still gotta keep room for the cake."

"That'll be no problem for me!" Naruto said proudly, patting his stomach, and Sakura shook her head in amusement, laughing.

"It's a wonder you're not fat yet, Naruto." He grinned impishly and continued to eat the fish, ignoring the salad on his plate.

"Kakashi-sensei, you you're not eating anything?" Sakura asked, pouting. Kakashi smirked.

"I'll take some home with me; I'm trying to save for the cake." His former-students glared at him.

"Fun sucker." Muttered Naruto.

Once they were full, Sakura stood up and began to collect the plates. "Do you want any help?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"Yeah yeah, Sasuke-teme and I will help you wash dishes!" Naruto said, standing. Sakura shook her head.

"No, that's okay. After all, I haven't forgotten what happened the _last _time you guys decided to help me wash the dishes."

It involved the ANBU, two sorry teammates and a screaming female, and Sakura's kitchen floor being soaked in water.

"Besides, I'm not washing the dishes _just _yet. Or maybe I will, cause I don't want us to eat cake so soon after eating lunch. Go…watch TV or something." She narrowed her eyes at Sasuke and Naruto. "And do NOT try and so much as stick a FINGER in the kitchen, or else I WILL chop it off." Naruto gulped and nodded furiously.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, and went over and sat on Sakura's couch, Naruto going and sitting next to him, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. Kakashi inspected Sakura's shelves, looking at all the pictures.

"Sakura, is this you and Ino at a _club_?!" Kakashi called out sharply, and immediately both boys stood up and headed over. Kakashi was right; Ino and Sakura were standing outside a club, grinning brightly and in clubbing clothes.

Sakura emerged from her place at the sink and walked over, flicking a piece of hair from her face as she did so. "Yeah, so?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. Kakashi eyed her with his one eye.

"Aren't there _boys _at these clubs? Boys that you can _grind with_?!"

"Oh, HELL NO. Sakura-chan, you can't go there anymore!"

"Aa."

Sakura stared at all three of them before throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I can never win with you guys." She yelled.

"We just don't want you getting hurt, Sakura." Kakashi said with a happy little eye curve.

"Or pregnant." Naruto muttered.

"Whatever, you losers. Kakashi-sensei, get away from my pictures. Don't you have a porn book to read or something?"

"I can read that any time," the silver-haired male said with a wave of his hand before poking around in the cabinets beneath the shelves almost as if he expected a half-clothed male to pop out.

"Hey guys, cake time!" Sakura called, bringing out the vanilla cake with candles on top. Seven, if Sasuke counted right. "Kakashi-sensei, close the blinds will you?" Kakashi did as told, watching as Sakura closed all of them in the kitchen before lighting the candles and flipping off the lights. "Sasuke-kun, could you blow out the candles? But first, we all gotta wish for something. Out loud. _About our team, Naruto, this means no wishing to become Hokage._" Naruto laughed. "Hurry up, my camera's set to go off in thirty seconds."

"May next years anniversary be just as much fun." Kakashi said in amusement.

"Uhm, I hope that we can all become jounin at the same time! Except for you, Kakashi-sensei, cause you're already one." Sakura said, glowering at the tallest of them all.

"I want for us all to grow old together, dattebayo!" Three guesses to who that was.

"I hope for Naruto to get left as a chuunin." Sasuke blew out the candles, and there was a flash.

"Why can't we have a _normal _team picture?" Sakura muttered, pulling out the picture from her camera.

Sasuke was standing there, smirking at Naruto who had his mouth open and glaring at the dark-haired male, no doubt angry and about to start screaming at him for his comment. Sakura had clapped her hands over her eyes in exasperation, and Kakashi had one hand on her shoulder, his eye curved.

"Bastard." Naruto said, scowling and crossing his arms; Sasuke smirked, Sakura sighed.

"Alright boys, relax. Sasuke-kun, the cake's unsweetened since I know you don't like sweet things." Sasuke nodded his gratitude and Sakura began to cut the cake, which was layered and had vanilla icing in the middle. She put the slices on four plates, not even paying attention until they all turned to look at Kakashi, who was putting down his fork on his empty plate, smiling and thanking Sakura. The girl pouted and handed her other boys plates.

"You're no fun, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto mourned.

"You guys should know that if the jounins have never seen my face then you guys have an even less chance." Kakashi replied, his tone amused. "Oh, I have a present for you all." His ex-students looked at him, eyebrows raised in suspense. From within his jounin vest he pulled out three bells. "Who remembers these?" He asked happily, and the other three shuddered.

"Our first bell test." Sakura said, eying them, and Kakashi chuckled.

"That's right, Sakura. Here's yours." He said, after examining them closely and handing her the one in the middle. Frowning and wondering why he had to look at them, Sakura took hers and spun it.

**H**.**S**.

"As you can probably tell, I had your initials engraved into them." Sakura smiled at the older man and hugged him.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." He patted the top of her head.

"You're welcome. Now, I'm gonna go, seeing as how Tsunade-sama wants me to do some paperwork." Sakura winced; she knew _exactly _how that felt.

"Okay, but I want ALL OF YOU here next Friday for dinner, got that?" Kakashi nodded and left in a poof of smoke.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go too, Sakura-chan, I told Hinata-chan I'd eat dinner with her at Ichiraku, and I suspect Sasuke-teme wants to go train, so we'll be leaving."

Sakura smiled and pulled both of her boys into a hug. Naruto had no problem wrapping an arm around her waist, and after a jab in the ribs from the blond, Sasuke did as well.

"I'll see you guys next Friday, okay?" Both of them nodded and left. It was only after everyone was gone that Sakura realized that Kakashi-sensei had never taken home any lunch.

"THAT BASTARD!"

---

Sasuke shifted in his bed, waking up for some inane reason. He sighed and threw the comforter off his body, pulling up the sheets. It was then he heard the tinkling sound of the bell and he looked over to where he had hung it by his window.

The wind blew and the bell spun, the inside hitting the walls of the inside and making a soft, high sound. It reminded Sasuke of Sakura's laugh; he smiled, though it really was more of a slight lifting of the lips, but a smile nonetheless from the Uchiha, and he rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N- I know I know, no need to tell me that I promised you all those Akatsuki funnies, but right now I'm depending on my Limewire to be my muse. Maybe it'll kick back up again when school starts. Now I'm gonna go work on a ShikaIno fic, and then it'll be FOMD, cause I wanna get that posted before I leave for vacation the 11****th**

**Anyway, happy birthday again Ren, and don't forget to review!**


	12. Love

**Disclaimer: Hmm, what I want for my 16th birthday... Let's see, can you guess?**

**Dedication: Addicted2Reviews, who wanted a KakaSaku. Excuse me while I go crawl into a corner and cry.**

When Team Seven had been twelve years old, they had been young. Cute. When they looked closely at them, women cooed and thought of how adorable a couple Sasuke and Sakura would make. She would be the light to his darkness, the perfect balance. The yin to his yang; she loved him, and with all the hints, subtle but still there, they thought that he had slight feelings for her as well.

That was, until he betrayed the village.

Three years later, the couple of choice was Naruto and Sakura. After all, he had been there when the Uchiha defected, had comforted her while she cried, and had simply been a friend, despite the fact that it was _clear _he felt more than friendship for the roseate-haired konoichi; however, despite the gossiping of the women of the village, Naruto's feelings for Sakura faded to something totally platonic, and he began to date Hinata soon afterwards.

Then there was the seven months of Kiba. _That _set the village off, and many of the women speculated if it was because of how alike both he and Naruto were. Many others said that it was that ferocious grin; dangerous yet alluring at the same time. Or perhaps that shaggy hair that looked soft in the light and just _begged _to have someone run their hands through it.

After that, Sakura dated Shikamaru, though it was only for a brief time; apparently, she had only done it to get her best friend, Ino, insanely jealous. It most definitely worked, and Ino and Shikamaru were now famous for their on-again-off-again relationship, though nowadays they were more on than off, and had been for the past nine months. Many speculated that due to this fortune, a ring was obviously in the waiting, and for some time, all focus shifted off Sakura and onto Shikamaru and Ino.

Soon afterwards, however, Uchiha Sasuke returned, and the village was alit with rumors. Would Sakura finally settle down with the tragic prodigy, or would she totally hate him and they would never speak to each other again? Or would they perhaps have a friends-with-benefits, including sex, relationship? All guesses were wrong. Sakura had long ago gained her heart back from the handsome Sharingan user, and they were merely friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

The village took a break from Sakura for a few years, and instead focused on Shikamaru and Ino's engagement, and Naruto becoming Hokage. Then, soon after the Nara wedding, and much to the delight of the entire village, it was discovered that Uzumaki Hinata was pregnant, and was due in the fall.

Sakura took this time to simply focus on her medic-nin duties, and declined all dates; after all, while she was a gorgeous woman, and young too, merely twenty-three, she wanted to focus on her career.

That was, until her former sensei Kakashi was pushed, quite literally, into her office and back into her world. Of course she saw him every so often, but he was busy with ANBU, and this time was no different. She treated his wounds every day for a week, because they were that severe, despite his objections that they weren't, and then…that was that.

Or so everyone thought.

It was, surprisingly, Naruto who noticed it first: that Kakashi always somehow wound up hurt, and despite the fact that he _hated _hospitals, he always seemed to be in there. Sakura was the only one he allowed to treat him, but this wasn't unusual; Sakura had quite a few patients who people began to dub "her regulars" because they wouldn't let anyone else treat them. Just Sakura.

The Rokudaime began to suspect something, especially when he saw the two of them in a café, drinking coffee in silence, though from the relaxed posture of their bodies, it was a comforting one.

So he was the only one completely unsurprised when they announced, finally, that they were dating. Everyone else was shocked, and the women tittered and muttered about how inappropriate it was, him being her former sensei and being so much older than her. Those stopped eventually when Naruto stopped and lightly commented that if Kakashi made Sakura so happy, then that should please them. And to, oh yeah, mind their own fucking business.

After a month the villagers forgot about the _scandal _and instead focused on other things, such as Neji and Tenten finally get together. Years passed, and Naruto was surprised at how well Sakura and Kakashi _fit_. Though they still drove each other particularly batty.

Unfortunately for Sasuke and Naruto, they were there to witness most of them. Such as today.

"Kakashi," yelled a voice, as the ash-haired male, the Uchiha, and the Jinchuuriki all sat at Sakura's kitchen table, "have you seen my green dress?"

"Which one? You have a ton of green dresses." Kakashi replied.

"The green silk one!"

"No. Have you checked the hamper?"

"YES!"

"The closet?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at that, and Kakashi shrugged.

"OBVIOUSLY. What are you, stupid?"

"No, I was just asking. How about your bedroom floor? The bathroom floor?" Naruto winced.

"YES! You know what? Nevermind."

"That's _gross_, Kakashi-sensei. How would YOU know where Sakura-chan's green dress is?" Kakashi smirked, and the blond shuddered.

Five minutes later…

"Kakashi! Have you seen my pink dress?"

"Gotta be more specific."

"The halter one, with the slit going up the side."

"Sorry, I haven't."

"YOU'RE SO USELESS!" Sakura bellowed in frustration, and stomped her foot. A large crack appeared in the ceiling.

"I love you too," Kakashi called.

Twenty minutes later, Sakura appeared, wearing a v-neck black dress that went slightly above her knees and had a black sash around the middle. In the middle of _that _was a diamond pendant. She wore a simple black choker and put her long hair up into a bun.

When she saw the males she rolled her eyes and adjusted her purse. "I HATE this dress." She grumbled unhappily.

"Aw, you look ravishing, sweetheart."

_"Go jump off a cliff, and I hope there are hungry sharks waiting for you at the bottom."_ Sakura hissed, and with a scathing look at her boyfriend and teammates, she stomped out the door for one of her co-workers engagement party.

"Such a lovely, even-tempered girl, isn't she?" Kakashi asked cheerfully, his eye curving.

"Sakura-chan is SCARY." Naruto whimpered.

"Aa." Sasuke agreed, and Kakashi merely grinned. "You better prepare yourself for later, Kakashi; Sakura looked pretty pissed off at you."

"Nah." Disagreed their former sensei, and the two opposite him shared dubious looks.

But Kakashi proved right; when Sakura shed the dress that she hated (though the tall man saw her twirling in it and watching happily as the skirt flared out when she returned home) she took a shower, dressed herself in one of his shirts, one of her shorts, and climbed into bed. Kakashi's arms wrapped around her middle, and she buried her face into his chest.

_"I love you." _He whispered.

Sakura smiled, snuggled closer to him, and they fell asleep.

* * *

**Love** is _something_ you  
can't _describe_. Like the **look****  
**of a **rose**, the smell of the _rain_,  
**or** the _feeling_ of forever.

* * *

**A/N- I got stuck towards the end, as I'm sure you can tell. And I'm sorry that this took so long (dammit, it was requested in APRIL. Who sucks? I do.) but next up is the ShikaTema Kickass-Konoichi requested, unless I get distracted. But it WILL be up, even if I DO get distracted. Anyway, I am off to go hide and cry in my closet, for I shall be dead when the SasuSaku fans get wind of me writing this.**

**But in the case that I AM alive, please review? **


	13. Shards

**Disclaimer: Dude, _no._**

Sometimes, as she leans against the window sill while the wind slowly whips her roseate hair around, she swears she can still hear his voice. It still haunts her, day by day, even though he's been gone for six years. _'Has it really been that long?' _She finds herself thinking. She had last seen Sasuke when he was fifteen, and the image still hurt her, even though it had been four years. He had changed so much that she felt she no longer knew him. Deep down, however, he was still that twelve year old boy that had thanked her, all those years ago.

When she trains, all she can imagine is him. Watching as he kicked the dummy, chopping at it; training until there was sweat all over his body, dripping down his abs and forehead. Training until the numbness became a part of what he was, until he could no longer feel, because the pain and anger all blended into one. She watched him at some of his weakest moments, watched as he sometimes sat down and just stayed there, staring into the abyss of nothing. That's how she felt, sometimes, when she gazed into his eyes. She felt like she was drowning, and there was no one to save her.

When she finally stops studying and eats a salad, she remembers how much he loved tomatoes. She doesn't know when she found this out, all she knew was that he liked them. A lot. She would sometimes bring him baskets of them, knowing how much he enjoyed the red vegetable. She sometimes saw him peek out the window, watching her as she laid the basket on the doorstep. Then, she would walk away, and hide in a bush. He would come outside a couple of minutes later, and he would pick up the bundle. She felt her heart explode with joy, because sometimes, he would give a smile. It was faint, and slightly invisible, but it was still there.

At times when she allows her mind to wander while she's doing the papers that Tsunade-sama is supposed to be doing, she remembers the first time the Uchiha heir allowed the curse mark to take over his body. Her body tingles, remembering how he worried for her. How he had almost _killed_ someone willingly because they had hurt _her. _Her, the weakest member of their team. Her, whom he had constantly called annoying and useless. He had defended _her_. That somehow had to mean something. There was no person who was completely heartless.

Even though she doesn't want to feel it, she does. The lonliness that sometimes consumes her heart, her soul, her every being. The dampness on her pillows just further proves this. She doesn't want to be angry with him, but she can't help it. All along, his goal was to kill Itachi and rebuild his clan. He might as well just be killing himself, because of how he chose his path. It was his to choose, and nothing could've stopped him, but she wishes he could've been wiser, thought over his choices. He had obviously felt uneasy because of how close he was getting to her and Naruto, and left impulsively. He reminds her of Itachi, when her mind drags up the image of him, and her heart squeezes with the pain.

It feels like forever since she had screamed she loved him. It could've been more or less, and sometimes it felt like yesterday that she had been crying over his leaving, begging him to stay with them. Stay with _her._ Sometimes, it feels like that particular memory belonged to another person, another her. Someone who had been too weak to stop a simple person. She sometimes blames herself, because she could've tried harder. Convinced him of her feelings, of _Naruto's_ feelings for his best friend, and perhaps he would've stayed. That tiny voice in her head reasons with her, though. Nothing could've stopped the obsidian-eyed boy from leaving, not even if Kami himself had ordered him to stay.

When she crawls into her bed at night, the moonlight shining in through the open window as the curtains rustle, she thinks of the night he left. The moonlight had been shining on the path, and it reflected on her. He was left in darkness. She somehow found this ironic. He was always in shadow, it seemed. So close, yet so far away. Cold and distant was his persona. She snuggles underneath the covers, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. Sometimes, she hated him so much that she just wanted to kill him until his blood was spilling upon the cold, harsh, unforgiving ground. Other times, she loved him so much that she just wanted to die. Neither of which was acceptable. And sometimes, as she remembers all of these things, she can feel the shards of her heart break all over again.

* * *

**A/N- I wrote this like, a billion years ago. No lie. This was when I had FIRST remembered I owned this account, and I posted it when I had NO IDEA how to go back and edit it, so it was terrible. But I always liked it, and I was thinking about it and I finally went back, re-edited some of it (and actually entered the paragraphs where I wanted them) and I'm pretty satisfied with this, despite the angst. Even so, your feedback would be awesome. And Mr. Review button has been quite lonely as of late, and it makes him emo. Why don't you cheer him up?**

**Next up: ShikaTema! (However, I'm a ShikaIno fangirl. Ideas for this next drabble would seriously help me out lots, and I'd give you credit, of course. So any givers?)**


	14. Clouds

**Disclaimer: My birthday is next week, so we'll just have to see whether or not Kishi will be nice and give me some ownership. (Somehow, I doubt all my begging and pleading will sway him. Damn.)**

Temari stormed across the field, crushing the pretty looking flowers and ignoring the gentle breeze brushing across her face, trying to cool her heated cheeks, though to no avail; she was _pissed_, and there was only one thing that could make her feel better.

She finally spotted a body lying in the middle of the grass, looking relaxed and peaceful. Her eyes narrowed; he wouldn't be that way for very long.

Reaching the spiky-haired male, she gave him a much-deserved kick to his ribs, and he cracked open an eye, glaring at her.

"What was that for? Troublesome woman."

Temari bristled in anger. Was he _serious_?!

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR? YOU MUST BE JOKING, NARA SHIKAMARU! I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE DAYS, _THREE DAYS_, AND NOT _ONCE _HAVE YOU COME TO SEE ME."

She inhaled deeply, and Shikamaru turned his head to look at her. "Are you done yet?" He asked in a bored tone, and Temari hissed, furious with the male. "I didn't come to see you because I was on a mission; I just got back maybe ten minutes ago. I was actually preparing to come find you, since I went to go give my mission statement to Tsunade and saw Gaara here, so I knew you'd be here and would be pissed if I didn't come see you."

Temari blinked in surprise. "Oh." She said, and Shikamaru sighed. Temari plopped down beside him, blinking up at the clouds. "What do you love so much about them?" She asked, pointing a finger up at the brilliant blue sky above them.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess it's because of the shapes." He replied slowly, and all was quiet for a little while.

"Do you ever think that the clouds mean something?" Temari asked softly, her anger abated. The boy beside her gave her an inquisitive look. "Like, look. There's a kunai. Maybe it means that you'll be sent on a mission again soon, or that you should train more."

Shikamaru snorted. "That looks like a deer." He said, nodding up at the clouds. "So, Miss Clouds-Have-Meaning, enlighten me." She sent him a scathing look.

"It could mean _you_, moron."

"That looks like a T." Temari looked to where he was pointing and nodded.

"Yeah, it does."

Another breeze brushed through her hair, and she almost jumped when she felt a hand enclose her own. "Look." Shikamaru whispered.

Temari's green eyes searched the sky until she saw what Shikamaru had seen, and she smiled, squeezing his hand.

Floating after the deer-looking cloud and the T-looking cloud was a heart.

* * *

**A/N- I live! Sorry, guys, my internet was down for three weeks, and I am awfully good at procrastination, so...yeah. Also, one of my friends died about a month ago, so I had a hard time with that. So anyway, this is short and sweet; I'm quite unfamiliar with ShikaTema, so that's why this may seem a little odd. I didn't take any of your suggestions, though they were quite good. Thanks to all who sent in ideas!**

**Also, my birthday is next Wednesday. Give me a good birthday and review!**


	15. Character drabbles

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, no. Though with the way Naruto has been going lately, I'm sure we all wish someone _but _Kishimoto is the mangaka, seeing as how he seems to have a sick sense of humor.**

**A/N--It's, uh, been a while, hasn't it guys? My bad. This was done for a meme on my LJ asking for a pairing and prompt and I'd write a line of a fic for them. Obviously I failed at this and basically wrote _paragraphs _instead. Anyway, a lot has gone on while the time I've been gone, and the ending result is that I've lost the document I had with all of your requests on them. So, requests are open again! Just don't expect them to be up right away, because it's the end of the year and I have research papers and projects and FINALS, ugh.**

**Also, the Pein/Konan one is bad, because I wasn't there during that whole arc, and also because I was writing this while trying to watch Grey's Anatomy at the same time. **

* * *

Couple: NaruIno

Prompt: ice cream

"It would figure," Ino drawled as she watched Naruto lick away happily at his scoop of sherbet ice cream, "that your obsession with orange would go as far as your _ice cream_."

* * *

Couple: KibaSaku

Prompt: bubble gum

"Hey Sakura, do you have any more gum?" Kiba asked, watching the girl chomp away at said object. When she shook her head no, he said, "Okay," and leaned in, giving her an open-mouthed kiss.

Sakura gaped at him, eyes opened wide, and he took the opportunity to sneak his tongue in.

He pulled away a few minutes later, smirked at her, and left. It took Sakura five minutes to realize that she no longer had gum in her mouth.

* * *

Couple: NaruSaku

Prompt: hammock

Everything about Naruto, Sakura muses sleepily, is warm. His heart, his smile, his body...

She shifts in the hammock and Naruto's arms tighten around her in response, grumbling something that sounded like 'ramen!' in his sleep. She smiles into his black shirt and closes her eyes, feeling herself slip into sleep.

The hospital can survive without her for a few hours.

* * *

Couple: SasuHina

Prompt: kill something beautiful (credit for this prompt goes to _the blanket_, who is epic win.)

It was no secret that Uchiha Sasuke was a beautiful boy. Everything about him drew people in. This included Hinata, because even though the majority of her heart belonged to Naruto-kun, Uchiha Sasuke grabbed your attention and _held it_. There was no denying it--Sasuke was beautiful.

When he returned to the village ten years later, Hinata was there, at the hospital. She saw him being dragged through by the chuunins that had been posted at the gates of the village. Even bleeding, Sharingan spinning wildly, he was beautiful. But all Hinata could see was the struggles, the road that Sasuke took to achieve his goals; she could see Naruto's broken blue eyes and that painful smile that Sakura gave that was so fake, _so fake_. All she could remember was hearing from the gossip-vine how many assassin missions Hatake Kakashi had accepted once the Uchiha deserted, and it made her feel so sad, to know what Sasuke had done to him teammates.

And suddenly, looking at him and knowing all of these things, he wasn't beautiful anymore.

* * *

Couple: SuiSaku

Prompt: Eco-friendly

"You're from MIST! YOU LOOK LIKE A SHARK! YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, SHOULD DISLIKE LITTER!" Sakura points furiously at the wrapper that Suigetsu just threw on the ground, and the pale-haired male wonders if he should be offended at being called a shark, which is an ugly animal, in his opinion.

He sniffs. He is _beautiful_, dammit.

"Want one?" He offers the other chocolate bar to Sakura, and cannot comprehend why she screams in frustration and throws her arms in the air, stomping away from him.

* * *

Character: Shino

Prompt: bug repellent

Kiba has never seen Shino lose control, but when the normally-quiet man starts knocking the bug repellent off the shelves and yelling that THESE SHOULD BE BANNED FROM KONOHA, the brown-haired male is more afraid of his teammate than he has ever been.

* * *

Couple: NaruIno

Prompt: "I'm a fairy princess."

Naruto gritted his teeth as he stepped onto the table, facing the crowded bar. Beneath him, Ino smirked, and he swore at himself for accepting her bet--and losing it.

"Attention everyone!" He called to the crowded bar, and forty faces turned to him. Naruto cleared his throat.

"I'm a fairy princess."

Laughter echoed around the room, though Ino's--he may have been imagining this, though--was the loudest, and Naruto knew that it would be a LONG time before his sudden, ahem, _confession_ was forgotten.

Even through the haze of alcohol running through his bloodstream, and the sake fogging his brain, Naruto knew this. He grimaced.

Dammit.

* * *

Couple: SasuSaku

Prompt: cupcake

Sasuke has never been one for affection. The most PDA he will allow with Sakura is for her to wrap her arms around one of his. So when she says, "Here, cupcake," and sticks a piece of meat into his mouth, her eyes are so bright with happiness that he finds he does not have the heart to yell at her for such a disgusting nickname. (He does not have the heart because she already owns it.)

* * *

Couple: ShikaIno

Prompt: bunny slippers

In the mornings, Shikamaru is incredibly lazy. He HATES getting up early for missions, and leaving the warmth of Ino's body is always hard, but he wants to kill her when, in the darkness of their room, he trips over of her bunny slippers; however, when she gives him a goodbye kiss later on, he finds he cannot muster up that same irritation.

* * *

Couple: NejiSaku

Prompt: mock

"You know, your hair is prettier than mine." Sakura mocks, a smirk playing about those pink lips, a few shades lighter than her hair. Neji twitches but does not react to the jibe. "Are you gay?" Neji turns to her, face furious, but then realizes that she is a medic-nin and that not only can she destroy the ground with her pinky finger but she can also refuse to heal him. So instead he pulls her to him and kisses her, leaving her breathless and giving her her answer. Sakura smirks against his lips. Boys were _so_ easy to manipulate.

* * *

Couple: PeinKonan

Subject: pretty hair

Pein has never been one for beauty, but watching Konan sleep, the moonlight highlighting her raven hair, her pale face almost porcelain, he knows, then, that she is beautiful.


End file.
